Almost four million women in England will be offered HPV self-testing kits as the NHS seeks to increase screening uptake and eliminate cervical cancer by 2040
The NHS has begun rolling out home cervical screening kits to women who have not attended previous appointments in a significant step towards eliminating cervical cancer, according to health leaders.
Women aged between 30 and 65 who are behind with their cervical screening will be invited to order a free self-testing kit through the NHS App or their NHS online account. Invitations will be sent through the app, by text, email or letter.
The kit contains a swab that is used at home to collect a vaginal sample. It is then returned free of charge to an NHS laboratory and tested for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause changes to cervical cells.
Anyone whose sample shows high high-risk-risk HPV will be invited to attend a follow-up appointment at their GP surgery or a sexual health clinic. A clinician will take a sample from the cervix to check for cell changes that may require monitoring or treatment.
Wider access
The phased national rollout is initially aimed at women who have not responded to earlier screening invitations. Around 68.8 per cent of those eligible are currently up to date with cervical screening, below the NHS England target of 80 per cent, leaving approximately 4m women overdue for the test.
Concerns about discomfort and difficulty finding time to attend an appointment can all discourage people from taking part. NHS England hopes the option of completing a test privately at home will help overcome some of these barriers.
Dr Sue Mann, National Clinical Director for Women’s Health at NHS England, described the introduction of self-testing as a “gamechanger”.
“Offering millions of women an alternative test they can do from the comfort of their own homes will make it easier than ever for before for them to get tested for HPV,” she said.
The approach follows the YouScreen trial, conducted by North London cancer alliances in partnership with NHS England and King’s College London. The trial found that offering kits at home or through GP practices could increase cervical screening participation in England by around 400,000 people each year. Its findings informed the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation for a wider rollout.
Additional choice
Self-testing is being introduced as an additional option rather than a replacement for cervical screening conducted by a healthcare professional. Those who usually attend their GP surgery or sexual health clinic for screening should continue to do so.
People aged 24 to 64 are routinely invited for NHS cervical screening every five years, or more frequently if HPV is detected. Those who received an invitation months or years ago can still arrange an appointment.
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said the home kits would make screening more convenient for women who had fallen behind with their appointments.
Cervical screening can identify high-risk HPV before cancer develops, allowing abnormal cells to be monitored or treated at an early stage. The rollout forms part of the NHS ambition to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2040.
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