Months to end backlog of 600k cervical cancer checks

THE backlog of missed cervical screenings will take months to clear and put huge pressure on the NHS, experts have warned.

It is estimated that some 600,000 tests would have been carried out in the UK in April and May had services been operating normally.

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust said many of these have been cancelled or missed during lockdown – in addition to a backlog of 1.5million appointments missed each year.

The charity called for tests to resume and a shift towards self-sampling, to allow those in high-risk groups to have the test at home.

There has been growing anxiety and confusion among women calling its helpline. A survey of 851 women in the first week of June suggests 25 per cent were concerned they would catch coronavirus, while 13 per cent thought it was best to put off going.

But it found four in ten women were concerned by cancellations.

As well as fears about their own safety, some said they did not want to put extra strain on the NHS, while others were concerned about putting relatives at risk of infection.

Five million women are invited for a cervical screening each year in the UK. Around 3.5million have the test.

Most parts of the UK have suspended all cancer screening programmes, and Cancer Research UK estimates 1.2million have missed appointments over the past three months.

Robert Music, of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: ‘Cervical screening isn’t always the easiest test and we must try to prevent coronavirus making it even harder.’

He said women need to be told ‘the measures GP practices and sexual health services are putting in to keep patients safe’ during the crisis. He added: ‘For those working in primary care, being mindful of new concerns as a result of coronavirus is important to ensure the right support can be given to women due cervical screening.’

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‘Growing anxiety and confusion’