Overview

• The randomized trial involved about 12,000 women overdue for screening across 13 GP practices in West London to compare opportunistic, postal and letter-based kit offers.
• Patients who received kits during routine GP visits returned samples at a 52% rate, versus 12% for postal delivery and 5% following letter invitations.
• Fiona Osgun of Cancer Research UK noted that discomfort, embarrassment and time constraints deter nearly a third of eligible individuals from traditional smear tests.
• NHS figures reveal that just 66% of people aged 25–64 were up to date with cervical screening in 2024, highlighting persistent participation gaps.
• Researchers estimate that broad adoption of in-person kit offers could prevent up to 1,000 cervical cancer cases each year, bolstering early detection for those unvaccinated in adolescence.