Hopes new at-home cervical screening tests will save lives in Rutland
Free test kits are being offered to anyone who's missed their appointment on the NHS.
Women in Peterborough, Stamford and Rutland who have not attended cervical screening appointments will be sent at-home testing kits for free on the NHS.
The move has been described as a “gamechanger”, offering a “discreet and convenient option” to encourage more women to get screened.
What is an at-home cervical screening kit?
The kits contain a swab, which is used to collect a sample from the vagina.
This is then posted back to NHS labs for free, where it is tested for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV).
If high-risk HPV is detected, patients will then be asked to attend a cervical screening appointment with a clinician.
HPV is a group of viruses which can be passed on through sexual contact and cause no symptoms.
However, around 13 high-risk types of the virus are known to cause 99.7% of cervical cancers.
Eligible women aged between 30 and 65, who have not attended screening appointments, will be sent invitations from today through the NHS app, text message, email or by letter.
They will then be able to order a kit through the NHS app or online.
The phased rollout forms part of the NHS’s target of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040.
National uptakes are low...
Women aged between 24 and 64 are invited for cervical screening every five years, or more often if HPV is detected.
Latest figures from NHS England show 68.8% of eligible women are up to date with cervical screening, below the 80% target.
The health service estimates this means around four million women are not up to date.
'Catch signs of cancer early'
Jennifer Taylor is from Sue Young Cancer Support in Rutland and explains why uptake may be low: "There is a lot of worry around this type of screening, in particular for younger women who have not been before.
"Sometimes women feel embarrassed or there is cultural sensitivity around screening. It is important people take part because it can help detect early signs of cancer.
"This could go even further, with mobile screening groups in the community, for example, which have been known to boost cancer being caught early on," she said.