Publish date: 24 November 2023
Women are being urged to accept NHS cervical screening invites after new figures show three in ten of those eligible for screening do not take up the potentially life-saving offer.
The NHS invites women for screening every three to five years depending on their age, or more frequently if the high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is detected, with the programme saving thousands of lives annually.
The NHS Cervical Screening Programme, England 2022-2023 annual report, published by NHS England today, found that 68.7% of 25 to 64 year-olds had attended screening within the recommended period of time, compared to 69.9% the previous year.
The proportion was higher for 50- to 64-year-olds at 74.4%, compared to 65.8% for 25 to 49 year-olds.
