One in four women do not attend smear test

According to the latest figures from NHS Digital, one in every four women invited for cervical cancer screening in England do not attend the test.

The data indicated that out of the 4.2 million women invited for smear tests in 2015-16, just over three million attended and is the second consecutive year that screening rates have fallen.

The cervical screening test checks of the presence of abnormal cells on the cervix that could become cancerous enabling women who are indentified as being at higher risk to receive treatment.

Women between the ages of 25-49 are invited for regular screening every three years and women between the ages of 50-64 are invited every five years.

The statistics showed that the lowest uptake was in London, with just 66.6 per cent of women taking up the offer, while the highest was in the East Midlands with 75.9 per cent of women attending tests.

It also identified women in their early 50s as having the highest attendance rates with over 80 per cent and women in their late 20s as having the lowest with just over 60 per cent.

Robert Music, chief executive of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said: "The new data makes bleak reading. If we do not start to immediately reverse declining coverage, then tragically we will see more diagnoses and lives lost from what is a largely preventable disease."

He added: ”We are calling for urgent action to explore initiatives including self-testing, increasing provision of screening in sexual health clinics and allowing women to attend screening at GP surgeries other than the one they are registered with.”

Dr Anne Mackie director of screening at Public Health England said: "Cervical screening prevents thousands of cancers, so it is important women take up the opportunity to be screened.

"We are supporting local services to encourage more women to attend screening through clearer information and tailored reminders.

"We have also asked the independent expert Screening Committee to consider the merits of self-testing for women who are not taking the test."

Health minister David Mowat said: "Cervical screening saves around 4,500 lives a year in England and I urge all women to decide to attend screening appointments when invited."