July 2025

Booking appointments via the NHS App – FOR INFORMATION

As you will be aware, cervical screening invitations are now being sent through the NHS App for women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64, resources to support the use of digital invitations and the NHS App are available here.

At the moment, we are exploring with digital colleagues on what we see as the next stage of this work which is to link directly from our digital communications to GP practice appointment systems on the NHS App. We do not yet have a prioritised development or timetable for this functionality but will keep regional teams updated via this bulletin.

However, GP practices are being encouraged to link their appointment booking systems with the NHS App. Brief guidelines on making appointments available online within specific clinical systems is available here.

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From 1 July, a physical copy of the new leaflet – now called ‘Your guide to NHS cervical screening’ – will be enclosed within invitation letters.  It will also be published online on GOV.UK, with signposting included in digital invitations. A PDF copy of the new leaflet is attached.

30 new translations will be available on GOV.UK (replacing the current 11 languages) and a British Sign Language (BSL) video will be published in due course.

The new leaflet reflects the extended cervical screening intervals, which will apply from 1 July. From this date, screening services are asked to stop using any remaining stock of the ‘Helping you decide’ and please transition immediately to the new ‘Your guide to NHS cervical screening’ leaflet.

Please find a PDF version here

Thank you to those that could join us at the July Cervical Screening Update session. The slides are now available here

Cervical Extended Screening Interval information and resources

You may have already heard but to confirm, Ashley Dalton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, has announced the implementation of a 5-year screening interval for participants aged 25 to 49 years who are high-risk HPV negative at their routine cervical screening test. This change will take effect for any cervical screening samples taken on or after 1^st July 2025.

A system letter has been issued today outlining the change, several documents are uploaded to the FutureNHS platform that will support commissioners and programme providers to prepare for the change to the longer interval. These are:

• NHS Cervical Screening Programme Extended Screening Intervals System Letter
• NHS Cervical Screening Programme Extended Screening Intervals Toolkit and FAQs
• NHS Cervical Screening Programme Extended Screening Intervals (ESI) Implementation Guidance for Commissioners
• Clinical Pathway Protocol – following the implementation of a 5-year screening interval for people aged 24.5 to 49 years
• Updated NHS Cervical Screening Programme Service Specifications

There are social media assets available on NHS Futures 

A log in is required for NHS Futures using your nhs.net email address. Please note the screening and immunisation team do not administrate Futures and cannot assist with log-ins.

Home testing kits for life saving checks against cervical cancer 24 June 25

Non responder reports in CSMS

On behalf of Alessandra Edge-McKenna, Lead Senior Communications & Engagement Manager.

GP practices can now use the Cervical Screening Management System (CSMS) to identify ‘non-responders’ eligible for cervical screening and contact them about attending for screening.

The ‘non-responders’ report shows those who:

• Have not responded to their most recent cervical screening invitation and are now more than 6 months overdue.
• Have been ceased due to age but were non-responders at the time of ceasing and are still under 65 years old and so remain eligible for their last screening test.

Details on the report and how it is run can be found in the CSMS user guide. For support with CSMS please go to CSMS help.

Cervical cancer elimination campaign

Cervical screening saves approximately 5,000 lives a year in the UK.

NHSE published the Cervical cancer elimination by 2040 – plan for England, which sets out how the NHS will improve equitable uptake and coverage across HPV vaccination and cervical screening to take us towards eliminating cervical cancer by 2040.

It’s the best way to find out who is at higher risk of developing cell changes that could lead to cervical cancer. Eliminating cervical cancer is more achievable than ever before. By getting the HPV vaccination and attending screenings when invited, you’re giving yourself the best possible protection.

Visit nhs.uk for more information on cervical screening.

Download the NHSE cervical cancer elimination campaign and toolkit here.

NHS Cervical Screening Programme digital invitations 

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme has now introduced digital invitations and reminders via the NHS App. This means quicker and more convenient access to cervical screening invites when screening is due. For those where a digital invitation isn’t possible, a letter will be posted as a backup. All invitations will guide participants to book appointments in the usual way. We would encourage everyone to download the NHS App and enable notifications.

This digital transformation supports the NHS commitment to put patients in control of their own healthcare, making it easier to manage appointments and health needs. I would like to thank staff involved in delivering NHS Cervical Screening Programme services for playing an important part in ensuring these changes are communicated to women and people with a cervix coming forward for screening.

Continuing to encourage all those eligible remains central to our ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, and we are grateful for the continued efforts to support this aim.

Cervical Screening support session 14.5.25

Thank you to Eve Appeal for presenting at the Cervical Screening support session on 14 May 2025 and thank you to those that could join us virtually.

The slides for the session can be accessed here

The certificate of attendance and feedback form are also live.

The Collated Q&A document from previous sessions is now available. Please be aware that Guidance does update frequently and always refer to the most up to date links, as some of the questions within this document date back to 2023.

Cervical screening opt-in process for transgender and non-binary people

The new opt-in process for transgender and non-binary people to receive automatic routine invitations is now live. GP practice managers and screening providers, including sexual health clinics and transgender services, should now begin to identify and invite eligible participants for a consultation to discuss the opt-in.

A guide outlining the process to be followed, and a recording of the recent NHS England webinar which describes the opt-in can be accessed on FutureNHS (login required).