Cervical Cancer

Department of Health written question – answered at on 26 February 2015.

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Photo of Teresa Pearce Teresa Pearce Labour, Erith and Thamesmead

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential savings to the NHS of increasing cervical screening rates.

Photo of Teresa Pearce Teresa Pearce Labour, Erith and Thamesmead

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase cervical screening rates.

Photo of Jane Ellison Jane Ellison The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health

The National Health Service cervical screening programme is based on informed choice. A leaflet sent out with every invitation for cervical screening provides women with clear, honest and balanced information about the benefits and limitations of cervical screening in order to ensure women are able to make an informed decision as to whether to have a cervical screening test or not.

Although no estimate has been made of the potential savings to the NHS of increasing cervical screening rates, cost-effectiveness is a key criteria of the UK National Screening Committee recommending whether or not screening for a particular condition should take place. For example, a cost-effectiveness evaluation of the current pilot of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as primary cervical screening is being undertaken alongside the clinical evaluation of the pilot.

Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer (January 2011) makes clear the important role that cervical screening plays in preventing cervical cancer. The strategy also notes that some groups and communities are not accessing cancer screening services. Public Health England is working with NHS England via the Public Health Section 7A agreement to develop a system of performance improvement through the use of performance floors, and strengthened governance for screening. The aims of the performance floors are:

- Improving performance and equity of service over time by reducing the range of variation at a local level.

- Enabling easy identification of poor performance and the setting of objectives and plans for local action, to reduce variation and improve performance.

Public Health England will look at research provided by the STRATEGIC study (Strategies to increase cervical screening uptake at first invitation) to identify methods to help increase uptake among women. The STRATEGIC study will be publishing findings in May 2016, more details of this can be found at;

http://www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/projects/hta/0916401

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