Resolving governance problems in screening

Abstract Effective governance of a cancer screening programme hinges on clear leadership, well-defined roles, and robust institutional coordination across four core functions: programme coordination, service delivery, monitoring, and evaluation. In a nutshell, Health Authority sets policy, allocates resources and defines quality standards, which the Programme Director operationalizes and Health Coordinators enforce by managing local compliance and reporting. Screening Centre Managers supervise clinical teams and Quality Assurance Unit evaluate key performance indicators. This governance framework, with distinct leadership roles and interlocking institutions, ensures that cancer screening is delivered efficiently, transparently, and continuously improved through data-driven oversight. The EUCanScreen consortium will conduct a survey on governance and sustainability of cancer screening programs across Europe. First results of this survey will be presented to highlight key areas for improvement in different countries and regions.