10-year plan to introduce HPV self-sampling for ‘under-screened’ women

Under-screened women will be offered HPV self-sampling kits to detect cervical cancer as part of the Government’s upcoming 10-year health plan.

The home-testing kits will be sent to women across England who have missed their invite to the cervical screening programme.

The initiative aims to make care more convenient and support the shift from treatment to prevention – one of the three ‘strategic shifts’ that health secretary Wes Streeting committed to as part of Lord Ara Darzi’s investigation into the NHS last year.

Participation in cervical screening is currently at 68.8%, below the national target of 80%. This means that over five million women are not up to date with their routine screening.

The Government said that it hopes that the introduction of the HPV self-sampling kits will help tackle the barriers and stigma that may surround screening for some women, including a fear of discomfort, embarrassment, cultural sensitivities and finding time for an appointment.

The self-sample kits will be offered to women who have rarely or never attended their cervical screening to complete at home.

The kits will be sent in discreet packaging and can be returned via pre-paid mail in a local post box.

Mr Streeting said that the self-sampling kits represent ‘healthcare that works around people’s lives’.

The health secretary added: ‘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 self-testing kits, which detect human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses that can lead to cervical cancer, allow women to carry out this testing in the privacy and convenience of their own homes.’

NHS director of screening Michelle Kane 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.

‘The programme specifically targets those groups consistently missing vital appointments, with younger women, ethnic minority communities facing cultural hurdles, people with a disability and LGBT+ people all set to benefit. 

‘Anyone testing positive for HPV through self-sampling will be encouraged to attend a clinician-taken follow-up cervical screening test to check for cervical cell changes.’

This is the latest step in a boost to encourage more women to access cervical screening, aligning with NHS England’s aim of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040. 

At the end of last year, the ‘ping and book’ system was launched, where women received routine reminders and options to book cancer screenings through the NHS App.

The system was initially rolled out for breast screening invitations, but cervical screening was added to the digital initiative in the spring.

Earlier this month, the NHS in England announced that it was changing cervical cancer screening intervals from three to five years for women aged 25 to 49 years who have a negative HPV test, following advice from the UK National Screening Committee.

The Government’s 10-year plan is expected to be published in July. At the NHS Confederation conference this month, NHS England’s director for primary care Dr Amanda Doyle described the upcoming plan as ‘GP-centric’ but warned there would not be immediate ‘huge shifts of funding from secondary to primary care’.