Self-swab cervical screening now offered at every Hackney GP surgery

Women in Hackney can now collect their own cervical screening sample at their GP surgery, after the NHS rolled out self-swab testing to all 1,100 practices in London.

The option is aimed at women who are six months or more overdue for screening. It allows them to take a sample in private, without an internal examination by a clinician.

NHS London says the offer is intended to tackle persistently low screening uptake in the capital by removing barriers that stop some women attending appointments, including discomfort, embarrassment, previous trauma and cultural concerns.

The self-swab, also known as HPV self-testing, produces results comparable to those from a sample taken by a healthcare professional, according to the NHS. Research it cites found 98 per cent of women rated the experience as good or excellent.

More than 3,600 women across London have chosen to self-screen since the programme launched in October last year.

Em J, a practice nurse who has used the self-swab option, said the change had removed a barrier that had previously kept her away from screening altogether.

“I have PTSD. Although I trained as a smear-taker and mentor, I still find smears unbearable,” she said. “I think the self-swabbing is amazing for women like me who struggle to engage with screening for whatever reason. I want to shout it from the rooftops. This is essential healthcare made accessible.”

Professor Kevin Fenton, regional director of public health for NHS London, said the GP-based scheme was “a uniquely London solution, based on research done in London, designed by the NHS in London for the women of London”.

He added: “Making it easier for women will increase uptake and ensure that London is not left behind in the race towards elimination.”

The NHS has committed to eliminating cervical cancer in England by 2040 under its Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan, which covers both HPV vaccination and screening coverage.

The GP offer sits alongside a separate national rollout of HPV self-testing, under which eligible women are invited to take part through the NHS App. Women contacted by both routes need to complete the test only once. Results are recorded centrally and shared with GP practices.

Women in Hackney who think they may be eligible are advised to contact their GP practice.