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1 hour ago Ellen Knight and Alice Lewis, in Wellington BBC Vanessa Whatley is encouraging women to attend screening appointments Women should keep up with cervical screening appointments even if they have been vaccinated, according to a chief nurse. NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin chief nursing officer Vanessa Whatley said there was a "misconception" that the HPV vaccine offered in schools since 2008 had replaced the need for testing for younger women. NHS figures show 72.2% of women in the county aged between 25 and 49 take up their appointments, rising to 76.3% of 50 to 64 year-olds.
The national target is 80%. "The gold standard is still to carry on with your smear tests", even for women who have had a vaccine, Whatley said. According to Cancer Research UK , 99.8% of all cervical cancer cases in the UK are caused by HPV infection.
The HPV vaccine was first offered in schools for girls aged 12-13 in 2008, and was expanded to include boys in 2019. Between 2020 and 2024, no cervical cancer deaths were recorded in women aged 20 to 24 - the first time that had happened over a five-year period. But while the vaccine had been a success, screening remained hugely important, Whatley said.
Below-target uptake of screening was a "national issue", she added, noting that "not everyone will have had that vaccine, so the smear testing regime is exactly the same." She added that the NHS needed to "make sure that people are doing both" in order to see the best possible outcomes. Getty Images Girls have been offered the HPV vaccine since 2008 Shropshire's uptake is better than the national average, but still short of the target. NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin is trying to encourage people who don't go to their appointments, by developing a series of educational videos aimed at people "who might find it really difficult".
"We know that a lot of people are really nervous," Whatley explained, noting that many feel the screening "is really invasive." The videos "walk them through the steps so they know exactly what to expect when they arrive at the GP surgery," she added. There are other factors that could stop people from coming to their cervical screening appointments, Whatley said. "Shropshire has got some hugely rural areas, and so [travel] will be a challenge to some people," she explained, adding that fitting in a GP appointment around work or caring responsibilities can also make it difficult.
In August, the NHS announced that women who missed a cervical screening appointment in England will be offered HPV self-testing kits by the NHS. Over the next year, nearly four million will receive invites on the NHS App or via text message, email or letter to order a free kit to use at home. Asked if a self-testing kit would be as meticulous as an in-person appointment, Whatley said "the design of the test has been really rigorous." "I think home testing is the future," she added, noting that "the more we can do ourselves independently, the less demand on NHS resources." The kits will be targeted at women who have not attended an in-person appointment, Whatley said.
"Please keep going to your GP practice if that's what you normally do," she added. Whatley is urging women to attend their appointments when invited - adding that staff are "really well-educated" on managing worries or anxieties beforehand. "The more people get their smear test, the earlier we will detect cervical cancer, and the more lives we'll save," she added.
Source: BBC
