Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department is taking to improve access to cervical cancer screenings.

NHS England is investing in initiatives to help ensure equality of access to screening. These include locally-targeted interventions such as text and general practitioners (GP) reminders.

As part of the delivery of the GP Five Year Forward View, the NHS has invested more than £258 million this year to improve access to general practice, including improved access to all routine appointments (including screening) at weekends and/or evenings.

The UK National Screening Committee recently reviewed the evidence for self-sampling as part of the programme modifications to the NHS Cervical Screening programme, to support non-attendance and access. The Committee will submit its recommendations shortly.

In addition, Professor Sir Mike Richards, as part of his review which was commissioned by NHS England to review screening programmes in England, will further consider ways to increase uptake of and access to cervical screening.