The NHS has issued a reminder to women who have failed to attend previous cervical screening appointments as a major new programme of HPV self-testing kits gets under way. Nearly four million women in England who are behind with their cervical screening will eventually be offered the free kits. Women who are eligible will be contacted by the NHS and invited to order a kit through the NHS App or their NHS online account.
Programme rollout begins
The programme begins with women aged 30 to 65 who have not attended cervical screening following previous invitations, with the rollout taking place in phases. The NHS has stressed that women cannot simply order a kit without being invited.
The message comes after the NHS posted on social media: "Cervical screening can help prevent cervical cancer, so it’s important to take up your invitation." It added: "If you’ve missed yours, the NHS may invite you to take an HPV self-test instead."
How the self-test works
The new test involves using a swab, similar to a long cotton bud, to take a sample from inside the vagina at home. The sample is then sent back to an NHS laboratory free of charge and checked for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause changes to cells in the cervix and eventually lead to cancer.
If high-risk HPV is detected, the woman will be invited for a follow-up appointment with a nurse or doctor, who will take a sample directly from the cervix to look for abnormal cells.
'Gamechanger' for women who have put off screening
Dr Sue Mann, National Clinical Director for Women's Health at NHS England, described the new approach as a 'gamechanger'. She said: "Screening saves thousands of lives each year by preventing cancers and catching them earlier, but only around two-thirds of women are attending cervical screening appointments when invited by the NHS."
Dr Mann added: "Offering millions of women an alternative test they can do from the comfort of their own homes will be a gamechanger – making it easier than ever for them to get tested for HPV." She said embarrassment, lack of time and worries about discomfort could all prevent women from attending traditional screening appointments. "These kits provide a discreet and convenient option we hope will encourage more women to take up the life-saving test", she said.
And she issued a direct appeal to anyone who receives an invitation: "Please order a test - it’s a simple swab you can do at home in minutes."
Support from cancer charities
Cancer Research UK's chief executive Michelle Mitchell also backed the move. She said cervical screening 'is a powerful tool that saves lives', adding that it can prevent cervical cancer or detect it earlier when treatment is more likely to be successful. "While it’s best for cervical screening to be done by a nurse or doctor, there are barriers that make it challenging for some people to attend," she said. "At-home HPV self-testing kits will help more people take part in a way that works for them."
Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of women's cancer charity The Eve Appeal, said there were many reasons why eligible people do not attend screening. She pointed to practical problems around booking appointments, limited awareness of HPV and concerns about the test itself. She described home self-testing as a 'step-change' for many people. "We have the incredible opportunity to see the back of cervical cancer," she said.
Four million women are not up to date
The scale of the problem is stark. Latest NHS figures show that just 68.8 per cent of eligible women are up to date with cervical screening - well below the NHS England target of 80%. That leaves around four million women in England who are not up to date with their routine screening. Cervical screening is designed to prevent cancer by identifying high-risk HPV before it can cause dangerous cell changes.
Almost all cervical cancers - 99.8% - are caused by HPV, according to NHS England. The disease causes around 685 deaths a year in England, but the NHS has set a target of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2040.
The new home-testing programme follows research suggesting that offering self-testing to women who are not regularly screened could significantly improve uptake. The YouScreen trial, run by North London cancer alliances with NHS England and King's College London, found that offering self-testing could increase the number of women screened in England by around 400,000 a year.
What women need to know
The home HPV test is not replacing conventional cervical screening. The NHS says clinician-led screening remains the best way to help prevent cervical cancer, while self-testing is being introduced as an additional option for people who have failed to attend previous invitations.
Women who regularly attend their appointments should continue to do so as normal. And anyone who has previously missed an appointment does not necessarily have to wait for a new invitation. The NHS says anyone who has been invited for cervical screening can still book an appointment, even if the invitation was sent months or years ago.
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government wanted to make screening as easy and convenient as possible. "These free self-testing kits will be offered to four million women who are currently behind on their screening to make it easier for as many women as possible to keep themselves healthy and safe," she said.
The NHS says women who have been vaccinated against HPV should still attend cervical screening, because the vaccine does not protect against every type of HPV and there remains a small risk of cervical cancer.
