Report shows decrease in cervical screening coverage

Cervical screening coverage for women eligible for testing in England has fallen by 0.7 per cent in the last year, according NHS Digital's latest statistics.

Latest figures for the NHS Cervical Screening Programme for the 2016-17 financial year show that coverage for women aged 25 to 64 was 72 per cent as at 31 March 2017, down from 72.7 per cent in 2016 and from 75.7 per cent in 2011, when collection of age appropriate coverage began.

As at 31 March 2017: coverage for women aged 25 to 49 was 69.6 per cent, compared to 70.2 per cent in 2016; for women aged 50 to 64, coverage was 77.2 per cent, a decline from 78 per cent in 2016; at a regional level, coverage of the full target group ranged from 65.7 per cent in London to 75.4 per cent in the East Midlands; and all regions reported a fall in coverage when compared with 2016.

This publication includes statistics on women aged 25 to 64 who are invited for regular screening; screening samples examined by pathology laboratories and referrals to colposcopy clinics.

Key findings for the target age group of women aged 25 to 64 included: a total of 4.45 million women were invited for screening in 2016-17, representing an increase of 5.6 per cent from 2015-16, when 4.21 million women were invited; and the number of women tested in 2016-17 was 3.18 million, an increase of 2.9 per cent from 2015-16, when 3.09 million women were tested.

The percentage of results showing a high-grade abnormality decreased with age. It was highest at 2.7 per cent for women aged 25-29, falling to less than 0.5 per cent for women aged 50 to 64.

Following the results, Public Health England (PHE) is urging all eligible women who are invited for cervical screening to take the test.

PHE is committed to improving screening attendance and has a programme of work which includes: supporting local services to encourage more women to attend screening by providing clearer information; encouraging GPs to consider offering a variety of appointments earlier the morning and evening, making it easier for women to attend at a time that suits them; and developing an interactive database which informs individual practices about the numbers of women they are screening and how they compare with neighbouring practices.

Women aged 25 to 49 registered with a GP are invited every three years and every five years if aged 50 to 64. Studies show if the proportion of women screened was raised to 84 per cent it could save the NHS £10 million a year as well as women’s lives.

Anne Mackie, PHE’s director of screening, said: “It is of real concern that fewer women, particularly younger women are not being screened, with over a third of women under 30 not taking the test.

“If women are embarrassed about having the test or worried about what the test results might say, they should talk to their GP who can explain why the test is important.”