Overview

• The rollout will send self-sampling kits by post to women who have missed multiple smear test invitations, allowing them to collect their own cervical sample at home.
• Kits will test for high-risk human papillomavirus strains responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancers and positive results will trigger in-person follow-up appointments.
• The programme targets more than five million under-screened women, including younger people, ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities and LGBT+ communities.
• Trials by King’s College London and NHS England found that offering self-sampling could boost annual screening uptake by around 400,000 in England.
• As part of the NHS’s shift from treatment to prevention, officials estimate the initiative could save about 5,000 lives a year and help eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.