Teesside cervical cancer survivor welcomes home testing kit rollout
It's part of the Government's cervical screening programme
A cervical cancer survivor in Teesside is welcoming the roll-out of home testing kits in England in a bid to prevent future cases.
From today it is being offered to those who have rarely or never attended their cervical screening due to things like a lack of time, a fear of discomfort or embarrassment.
Lisa Tomlinson-Cowie from Billingham has been in remission from cervical cancer for 18 years. She is also a cervical screening practitioner.
She says the home kits is a wonderful invention if it is used and taught properly: "It needs to have clear instructions on how to perform the procedure correctly to enable us to get the correct results. What we don't want to happen is for testing result to come back inconclusive or with a positive result when the lesson wasn't taught properly, and whether they need to still visit your nursing practitioner to ensure that the test is taken correctly or not.
"I think if my situation had been different and I hadn't been diagnosed with cervical cancer 18 years ago and the home testing kits were had been available, I probably would have taken the cervical screening at home kit, but with the knowledge and experience I have now, I'd say myself if I was offered the home testing kit, I'd rather go and see a nurse practitioner but that's just my choice.
"Hopefully with people having the option of doing a home testing kit, it can raise the rates of people taking screening invitations. This all depends if the patient is comfortable, is capable of doing so and if they would rather do this than seeing a nurse practitioner.
"NHS England are hoping to eradicate cervical cancer by 2040 and hopefully this would be something that we can look forward to for the future with the HPV vaccine and regular screening and having screening at home. It all depends on the patient and how comfortable and capable they are of doing so to perform the procedure correctly. If cervical cancer can be eradicted, that would be absolutely wonderful.
"Personally for myself, I wouldn't use a home testing kit and that's only because I wouldn't feel confident myself ensuring that I was getting the correct area of collecting cells. I would prefer seeing one of the medical professionals. There are many reasons why people don't want to attend a surgery for cervical screening and I do understand that. Everybody has a choice whether they do it at home or whether they go to the GP surgery to have it done.
"Ladies, please take up your screening when invited, whether it's at your local GP surgery or whether it's a home testing kit. You know your body and you know how you're comfortable with it, so please attend screening when invited."
What are the home-testing kits for cervical cancer?
The tests, which can be performed at home, look for the human papillomavirus (HPV) - the virus which is linked to the majority of cases of cervical cancer.
After getting the nod from the UK National Screening Committee in March, the NHS in England is going to offer the tests to certain women.
It is expected that the rollout will begin in January next year.
The NHS offers cervical screening tests - previously known as smear tests - to all women aged 25-64 every three years.
But many people do not take up the offer, with a number citing a lack of time, discomfort or embarrassment.
Data published by the NHS last November showed five million women are not up to date with routine check-ups.
Now officials have said that at-home kits will be offered to women who have rarely or have never attended their cervical screening.
The initiative will see women sent a self-sampling kit in the post which can be returned via pre-paid mail.
People who were found to have the HPV virus will be encouraged to attend an in-person appointment with a clinician.
Research has suggested that offering DIY testing kits could boost uptake.
The YouScreen trial, which was led by King's College London in partnership with NHS England, found that offering self-sampling kits to "under-screened" women when they attend their GP practice and by posting kits to women's homes could boost uptake in England by about 400,000 each year.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the new approach could potentially save about 5,000 lives a year across England.
It said that the new programme "specifically targets those groups consistently missing vital appointments" including: younger women, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities and LGBT plus people.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: "These self-sampling kits represent healthcare that works around people's lives, not the other way around.
"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."
Dr Anita Lim, chief investigator of the YouScreen trial from King's College London, added: "This is a significant step forward for cervical cancer prevention and brings us closer to the NHS goal of eliminating the disease by 2040.
"The YouScreen trial, which provided self-sampling HPV kits to under-screen women in London, demonstrated that self-sampling could reach people who find it difficult to attend traditional screening - including those from diverse and underserved populations.
"It's hugely positive to see this now reflected in national policy, helping more people get protected from this highly preventable cancer."
Michelle Kane, NHS England's director of screening, added: "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."