NHS England is set to offer millions of women who have missed cervical screening appointments free home testing kits, a move described as a “gamechanger” in the effort to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. The scheme, starting Tuesday, targets women aged 30 to 65 who are not up to date with their screenings, with invitations sent via the NHS app, text message, email, or letter.
How the home testing kits work
The kits contain a swab for women to collect a sample from the vagina, which is then posted back to the NHS free of charge. The sample is tested in labs for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses transmitted through sexual contact that often cause no symptoms. About 13 high-risk types of HPV are known to cause 99.7% of cervical cancers.
If high-risk HPV is detected, patients will be asked to attend a cervical screening appointment with a clinician. The scheme is part of the NHS’s broader target of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040, according to NHS England.
Addressing the screening gap
The rollout comes amid concerns that only two-thirds of women attend in-person cervical screening appointments when invited, leaving as many as 4 million women not up to date. Latest figures from NHS England show that 68.8% of eligible women are up to date with cervical screening, below the 80% target. Women aged between 24 and 64 are invited for cervical screening every five years, or more often if HPV is detected.
Dr Sue Mann, national clinical director for women’s health at NHS England, 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. 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.”
Reactions and next steps
Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, welcomed the move, saying self-testing at home would be a “step-change” for many women. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Cervical screening is a powerful tool that saves lives – it can prevent cervical cancer or spot it at an earlier stage 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. At-home HPV self-testing kits will help more people take part in a way that works for them.”
Yvette Cooper, the health secretary, said the aim was to make it as easy and convenient as possible for women to keep up with their screening, adding: “This is the future NHS we are building – there for all of us when we need it, and acting as early as possible to stop preventable deaths.” Women who are invited are encouraged to order a test through the NHS app or website, with Dr Mann noting that “it’s a simple swab you can do at home in minutes.”
