Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what planning and preparation is taking place to ensure that Scotland can adopt HPV self-sampling in the national cervical screening programme as soon as it is recommended by the UK National Screening Committee.
The Scottish Government is committed to exploring the implementation of HPV self-sampling, and acknowledges that it has the potential to increase uptake levels and reduce barriers to cervical screening.
The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) recognises the potential benefits of self-sampling but have concluded that there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend implementation. Studies are underway to gather further evidence, but it is not yet known when the NSC may make a positive recommendation. Additionally, it is unclear when the work to assess and validate a test for HPV self-sampling in the UK will complete.
As introducing a new screening test into the National Screening Programme is inherently complex, a working group has been convened to assess potential models and understand any required changes to the screening programme to support an initial roll-out. This work is being informed by the emerging evidence from UK and global research, including the study undertaken in Dumfries and Galloway which provided self-sampling test kits to women between 25 and 64 who had not taken up the offer of attending for cervical screening. The results of this study showed the potential benefits of self-sampling, but also underlined the need to carefully consider how any eventual roll-out is targeted.