Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will launch targeted campaigns on cervical screening in regions where cervical screening rates have fallen below the national average.

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme promotes local public health service initiatives to encourage women to attend cervical screening, such as the Manchester campaign entitled “You Wouldn’t Miss…” – see the link below:

http://goodhealth-manchester.nhs.uk/test/cancer/cervicalCancerPosterCampaign.html

Cervical screening rates have been identified as a key issue by the Screening Programme Board. Public Health England is working with NHS England to develop a system of performance improvement through the use of performance floors, and strengthened governance for screening.

Cancer Research UK has undertaken work on improving bowel screening uptake in London, and the Department of Health Behavioural Insight team is developing a project on improving coverage in cervical screening. In addition, major research studies on increasing uptake of bowel and cervical screening are due to report in 2015-16.