Millions in England to be offered ‘gamechanging’ home testing kits for cervical cancer

Millions of women who have missed cervical screening in England will be offered free NHS home HPV tests.

The initiative is aimed at women who are not up to date with screening, with NHS estimates suggesting as many as 4 million have fallen behind.

The home kits contain a swab for collecting a vaginal sample, which is returned to the NHS free of charge and tested in a laboratory for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV).

If high-risk HPV is detected through a home test, patients will be asked to attend a cervical screening appointment with a clinician.

HPV is a group of viruses that can be passed on through sexual contact and cause no symptoms. About 13 high-risk types are known to cause 99.7 per cent of cervical cancers.

Starting on Tuesday, eligible women aged between 30 and 65 who have not attended screening appointments will receive invitations through the NHS app, text message, email or letter.

They will then be able to order a testing kit through the NHS app or website.

The scheme is part of the NHS’s target to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

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.”

Women aged between 24 and 64 are invited for cervical screening every five years, or more often if HPV is detected.

NHS England figures show 68.8 per cent of eligible women are up to date with cervical screening, below the 80 per cent target.

Mann said: “There are lots of reasons that may stop women from getting their cervical screening – embarrassment, lack of time, or worries about discomfort – and these kits provide a discreet and convenient option we hope will encourage more women to take up the life-saving test.

“So, if you’re invited to take part, please order a test – it’s a simple swab you can do at home in minutes.”

Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, welcomed the move, saying that 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.”

Health secretary Yvette Cooper said the aim was to make it as easy and convenient as possible for women to keep up with their screening.

She said: “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.”