Women across England who haven’t come forward for vital health checks will be offered home-testing kits as part of the cervical screening programme under the upcoming 10 Year Health Plan.
The ground-breaking initiative aims to revolutionise cervical cancer prevention rates by tackling deeply entrenched barriers that keep some women away from potentially life-saving screenings, including a fear of discomfort, embarrassment, cultural sensitivities and the struggle to find time for medical appointments.
Women who have rarely or have never attended their cervical screening will be offered a self-sample kit to complete at home. They are then sent out in discreet packaging and returned via pre-paid mail in the local post box.
Participation in cervical cancer screening currently sits at just 68.8% – well below the NHS England target of 80%. This means over 5 million women in England are not up to date with their routine check-up. But experts believe this targeted approach could increase participation in the screening programme that saves approximately 5000 lives a year across England.
