Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that cervical screening appointments can be booked via the NHS app.

NHS England takes a digital first approach to issuing invitations and results in the National Health Service cervical screening programme, using the NHS App and SMS.

NHS England is committed to making it as easy as possible for those wishing to participate in cervical screening to book an appointment.

For many people registered with a general practice (GP), they can already book appointments using the NHS App.

However, as NHS England finalises the first phase of its digital approach to correspondence, it is exploring the feasibility of providing a direct link from the screening invitations on the NHS App to GP booking systems, making it even easier to make appointments.

Cervical screening sample takers, for example GP nurses, are flagging with patients that results may be sent to them via the NHS App and are encouraging them to use and switch on notifications on the App.