Those who don’t bring Vital Health Checks forward will be offered a home test for cervical cancer as part of their upcoming British 10-year health plan.
The groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionize cervical cancer prevention rates by addressing deeply rooted barriers that keep some women away from potentially life-saving screenings, such as discomfort, embarrassment, cultural sensitivity and the struggle to find time for medical appointments.
Women who rarely or have never attended a neck screen will be provided with a self-sample kit for completion at home. It will then be sent in a modest package and returned via prepaid email in a local postbox.
In-person tests for cervical cancer have not reached government targets
Currently, only 68.8% of participants in cervical cancer screenings are attending, well below the NHS England target of 80%. This means that over 5 million women in the UK are not up to date with routine testing.
However, experts believe this targeted approach to cervical cancer testing could increase participation in screening programs, which could save around 5,000 lives per year across the UK.
The initiative is part of the UK government’s health plan for the next decade, which is expected to be published in the coming weeks. It plans to build a future-friendly NHS by addressing the challenges facing health services and doing more to prevent health conditions.
“Wes Streeting, a secretary of health and social care, said: “These self-sampling kits represent the health care that runs people’s lives, not the other way around.
Privacy and convenience of missing essential screenings
A new kit that detects human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses that can lead to cervical cancer, will allow women to perform cervical cancer testing with privacy and convenience in their homes.
The program specifically targets groups who consistently disappear with important appointments so that young women, ethnic minority communities facing cultural hurdles, people with disabilities and LGBT+ people can all benefit.
Those testing positive for HPV through self-sampling are recommended to attend follow-up neck screening tests derived from the clinician to see changes in neck cells.
“There are many reasons why some women stop offering screening. We hope that the introduction of self-tests will encourage more women to take this life-saving test,” explained Michelle Kane, NHS screening director.
“We recommend joining anyone who has been invited to a neck screen, either through a local GP practice or through an NHS app. If you have any symptoms that bother you, contact your GP. It can save your life.”
Screening for cervical cancers set to be more personalized
This approach will more personalize cervical cancer testing, based on the recent NHS announcement. Starting in July, women aged 25-49 who will test for negative HPV with clinician-acquired tests will be invited to their next test in five years rather than three, following recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee.
The programme is consistent with key clinical evidence that if a person is negative for HPV, it is very unlikely to develop cervical cancer within the next decade. Anyone whose samples indicate the presence of HPV continues to be invited to more frequent screenings.
“This is an important step forward in cervical cancer prevention and is approaching the NHS’ goal of eliminating disease by 2040,” said Anita Lim, the lead investigator at Youscreen Trial and Visiting Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London.
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