Following the announced changes happening to the frequency of cervical screening (commonly known as smears) and the ways you will now be invited, we have complied a quick break down of  information to help keep our patients informed. This decision is based on strong clinical evidence and recommended by the UK National Screening Committee. To read more about this decision, click here. Additionally, you can find more information here on the government website.

NHS Cervical Screening Programme Changes

When will the extended screening intervals be implemented?

From the 1st of July 2025, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme will implement extended screening intervals in England for participants aged 25-49 who attend cervical screening on or after this date and test negative for hrHPV at their routine screen.

These changes mean

Those aged 25-49 who have a sample taken on or after 1st July 2025;

who test negative for hrHPV

• • will be recalled in 5 years

unless

• • they had a positive hrHPV result within the last 5 years (not followed by a negative test), which means they will be invited for screening in 3 years. This is because those with recent evidence of an hrHPV positive result have a higher chance of this happening again and so will not move to a 5-year interval straight away.

who test positive for hrHPV and:

• • negative on cytology i.e., no cell changes, will be invited for screening again in 1 year; or
  • positive on cytology i.e., there are cell changes, are referred directly to a hospital clinic for a colposcopy to check the cervix more closely. Further follow up and treatment will depend on the colposcopy findings

What’s NOT changing

• Next test due dates will not be changed retrospectively; participants will be invited at the interval in which they were advised of at the time of their last test.
• Women and people with a cervix aged 50-64 continue to be routinely recalled every 5 years.
• HIV positive individuals will continue to be screened annually.
• Participants aged 24.5- 49 years whose last screening test was part of an approved self-sampling evaluation and were HPV negative will remain on a 3 year recall interval until routine intervals in relation to self-sampling as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme are agreed.
• There will be no direct impact on providers in terms of activity until July 2028

NHS digitalisation means the way in which you are contacted about when your smear is due is moving paperless. For more information on these changes, click here.