NHS to roll out DIY cervical cancer screening for women at home

Telegraph

4 hours ago

The NHS is to roll out DIY cervical cancer screening at home.
Women who have consistently missed offers for screening will be offered the chance to 'self-sample' to help prevent cervical cancer.
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, said it was part of efforts to provide healthcare 'that works around people's lives '.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the new approach could potentially save around 5,000 lives a year in England.
Officials said the home-testing kits would be offered from January under the upcoming 10-year health plan, which is expected next week.
The plan was recommended by the UK National Screening Committee.
Mr Streeting said: 'These self-sampling kits represent healthcare that works around people's lives, not the other way around. They put women firmly in control of their own health, ensuring we catch more cancers at their earliest, most treatable stages.
'Our 10-year health plan will fundamentally reform the NHS, shifting focus from treating illness to preventing it before it starts.
'We know the earlier cancer is diagnosed the better the chances are of survival. By making screening more convenient, we're tackling the barriers that keep millions of women from potentially life-saving tests.'
The tests, which can be performed at home, look for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus which is linked to the majority of cases of cervical cancer.
The NHS offers cervical screening tests – previously known as smear tests – to all women aged 25 to 64 every three years.
But many women do not take up the offer, with a number citing a lack of time, discomfort or embarrassment.
Some five million women are not up to date with routine check-ups, according to data published by the NHS last November.
Under the initiative, women will be sent a self-sampling kit in the post which can be returned via pre-paid mail.
Those who are found to have the HPV virus will be encouraged to attend an in-person appointment with a clinician.
Health minister Karin Smyth said the move was 'a revolutionary shift in how we approach healthcare'.
She said many women did not attend cervical cancer screening appointments for understandable reasons – including 'embarrassment, cultural sensitivities, inconvenient services and busy lives'.
She wrote in The Telegraph: 'These simple kits test for HPV – the virus responsible for most cervical cancers – and can be used in the privacy of your own home. No awkward appointments, no time off work, no childcare arrangements needed.
'For those who haven't responded to screening invitations, these kits will be offered to you on your NHS app and at the push of a button, mailed to your home.'
A trial programme suggested that offering self-sampling kits to 'under-screened' women when they attend their GP practice, and posting kits to women's homes, could boost uptake in England by about 400,000 each year. The YouScreen trial was led by King's College London in partnership with NHS England.
NHS England said the new programme 'specifically targets those groups consistently missing vital appointments' including younger women, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities and LGBT+ people.
Dr Anita Lim, chief investigator of the YouScreen trial from King's College London, said: 'This is a significant step forward for cervical cancer prevention and brings us closer to the NHS goal of eliminating the disease by 2040.
'The YouScreen trial, which provided self-sampling HPV kits to under-screened women in London, demonstrated that self-sampling could reach people who find it difficult to attend traditional screening – including those from diverse and underserved populations.
'It's hugely positive to see this now reflected in national policy, helping more people get protected from this highly preventable cancer.'
Michelle Kane, NHS England's director of screening, said: 'There are a number of reasons that stop some women taking up the offer of screening and we hope the introduction of self-testing will encourage more women to take up this life-saving test in a way that works for them.
'I'd encourage anyone who gets an invite for a cervical screening, either from their local GP practice or the NHS App, to attend and if you have any worrying symptoms, please contact your GP. It could save your life.'
Early detection saves lives
By Karin Smyth
Despite having a family history of skin conditions, I was always too busy to pay attention to the warning signs. 'I'm not a sun worshipper,' I told myself as I rushed between meetings, caring for others and constituency commitments, never making time to get that changing mole checked.
It was only by chance that a consultant oncologist spotted a small lump on my face at a parliamentary event a few years ago that led me to a check-up. While that lump turned out to be benign, it led to discovering melanoma on my leg.
My experience taught me two vital lessons: early detection saves lives, and our healthcare system must work around people's lives, not the other way around.
That's why I'm so passionate about the announcement we're making today. Under our 10 Year Health Plan, women who have not taken up the offer of a cervical screening appointment will be offered a self-sample kit to be mailed to their home.
This isn't just another NHS initiative – it's a revolutionary shift in how we approach healthcare.
Currently, nearly a third of women miss their cervical screening appointments.
That's over five million people potentially putting themselves at risk. The reasons are understandable – embarrassment, cultural sensitivities, inconvenient services and busy lives do come in the way of attending appointments.
But cervical cancer doesn't care about your schedule. It claims lives that could be saved through early detection.
For those unable to attend appointments, self-sampling can allow women to take control back. These simple kits test for HPV – the virus responsible for most cervical cancers – and can be used in the privacy of your own home. No awkward appointments, no time off work, no childcare arrangements needed.
For those who haven't responded to screening invitations, these kits will be offered to you on your NHS App and at the push of a button, mailed to your home.
Anyone testing positive will be referred for follow-up assessment, ensuring the same high standards of care as traditional screening.
This initiative is just one piece of our broader vision outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan.
We're moving from treating sickness to preventing it, from hospital corridors to community spaces. Because true healthcare isn't about waiting until you're ill – it's about keeping you well in the first place.
I know first-hand the fear that comes with a cancer diagnosis. My melanoma journey could have been very different had I ignored that changing mole for longer.
Many women with cervical cancer face similar stories – symptoms noticed too late, screening appointments repeatedly postponed.
When I tell people to check their skin regularly or attend screening appointments, I'm not speaking from a position of privilege or ignorance. I'm speaking as someone who's faced that fear, someone who knows what's at stake.
Because when it comes to cancer, early detection isn't just preferable – it's the difference between life and death. And no one should miss that opportunity because the system wasn't designed with their needs in mind.