NHS will send 'DIY smear tests' by post in effort to tackle decline in cervical cancer screening

DIY smear tests will be introduced by the NHS, in an bid to tackle the lowest screening take-up for 21 years.

Women will be sent kits allowing them to take their own sample at home, and post it back to the health service, under the schemes.

Officials hope that the pilot schemes mean those who are too embarassed to attend their GPs for cervical screening will take part in the programme.

Nearly one third of women ignored their latest invitation, official figures show - the worst since records began.

Prof Sir Mike Richards, who is leading a review of cancer screening, told MPs that the NHS will pilot schemes tried in the Netherlands, where postal kits were found to boost uptake.

He said the “self sampling” model had shown “great promise,” and could be rolled out nationally if pilots in England are successful.

“We may get to a different segment of the population by offering HPV self-sampling sets through

the post,” he told the Commons Public Accounts Committee.

“That’s what we are beginning to see in other countries - we want to bring that in a very measured way when we have done the full research.”

Pilot schemes are likely to focus on women who have missed screening, with a kit sent to them within a month of a failure to respond to an appointment.

Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, told MPs that the health service will bring the administration of cervical cancer invitations back “in-house”.

It follows a blunder which saw 50,000 women miss out on letters including screening invitations and results, following failings by Capita, the firm to which the work was outsourced.

Earlier this week, Sir Mike said NHS screening units should be set up near offices and shops so workers can have checks for breast and bowel cancer in their lunch breaks.

He also said patients must be able to book smear tests and mammograms on their smartphones as easily as buying a train ticket.

The former cancer tsar said Britain could not tackle its poor survival rates from cancer - languishing at the bottom of international league tables - without a radical overhaul of the way services are run.

Sir Mike has been commissioned by health officials to lead a review of screening programmes following a series of scandals and growing concern about a decline in uptake of the checks.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he signalled that it will call for sweeping reforms of the way services are accessed, and an upgrade of “woefully poor” diagnostic services.

“One of the things we really need to do is promote convenience; offering more out of hours appointments - places you can get your screening done at 8pm - and services nearer to where people work so that they can do it in their lunch break,” he said.

Robert Music, chief executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “We are delighted that there will be a pilot of HPV self-sampling. We have been calling for this for a long time and believe this could be a game-changer in regards to access to screening. Introduction of self sampling will be of enormous benefit to many people, including survivors of sexual violence and women with a physical disability.

"Other countries are already seeing very positive results of HPV self-sampling with those who have delayed attending for many years choosing to take the test. It is now crucial that this pilot moves forward quickly to ensure we are not left behind in our vision of eliminating cervical cancer.”