Charities are urging the government to introduce mandatory heart screenings for young people as their own sessions struggle to meet the overwhelming demand. 

The calls come as parents have travelled across the country after waiting years for life-saving electrocardiogram tests.

Tom Paget, a dad of two teenagers, travelled 90 minutes from his home town in Otley in West Yorkshire to Hull to have his children screened. 

He said: “We have been looking for a couple of years for screenings and this is the first that we found that’s any way near us. 

“I came here because there’ve been a few high profile incidents of footballers suffering with sudden heart problems. I suppose, as a parent, that’s sort of your worst nightmare.”

Mr Paget attended a screening in Hull organised by charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). Appointments went live at four o’clock three weeks before the session. By five past, they were all gone. 

He said: “That’s how desperate people are to get on and get children screened, and clearly how few appointments are actually available.”

According to CRY, 12 fit and healthy young people under the age of 35 die from undiagnosed cardiac conditions every week in the UK.

While individuals aged 40 to 74 and families affected by a young sudden cardiac death are eligible for a free ECG heart screening on the NHS, young people have no access to these free services.  

Instead, parents turn to groups like CRY which offers screenings to about 30,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 35 each year.

Despite CRY’s efforts to screen thousands of young people annually, many still face long waits and the need to travel long distances for a screening.

According to CRY’s 2025 statistics, demand for ECGs is “exponentially outstripping capacity” with the waiting list now exceeding 105,000. 

Dr Steven Cox, CEO of the organisation, said: “In Italy, where people are routinely tested every year from a young age, they show an 89% reduction in sudden deaths. 

“We don’t have the luxury of routine screening in the UK, so our priority is for everyone to be screened at least once from the age of 14.” 

Charities are working with CRY to help them provide screenings to as many young people as possible, but they say it’s not enough without government support. 

Becky Bristow, general manager of the Dillon Quirke Foundation, a charity that screened 10,000 14 to 17-year-olds in sports clubs around Ireland this year, said: “The biggest issue is the national health service.

“They would have to find a way to pay for the screenings and they have way bigger priorities, so we are campaigning for major sports bodies to make screening mandatory for their players.” 

The foundation was launched by the parents of 24-year-old sports player, Dillon Quirke, who suddenly died of an undiagnosed heart condition on the pitch. They began raising awareness that screening can prevent sudden cardiac deaths. 

Ms Bristow said: “They were horrified to discover Dillon’s death was preventable with a very simple screening.” 

Another charity helping make CRY’s screenings more accessible to people across the UK is Clarissa’s Campaign.

Clarissa Nicholls, 20, was a Cambridge student who died of an undiagnosed heart condition while on her year abroad. 

Ms Betts, said: “It was a massive shock, Clarissa had no symptoms, she was really fit and active.” 

After her death, Clarissa’s family and friends began to host screening days with the help of CRY to make screenings more accessible, especially for students at Cambridge University. 

She said: “We have an emphasis on sports students but are open for everyone to sign up to, most people at the screenings say they knew someone who died of sudden cardiac death.” 

Clarissa’s friend Hannah Betts said: “CRY is doing a great job but there are thousands on their waiting list and their screenings are in random locations that aren’t accessible to everyone.”