Current status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Women’s Health Plan: Phase 2 (2026-2029), by what date it will publish the Action Plan for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, and what the timeline is for its implementation.
The Scottish Government intends to publish the Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan in spring 2026.
In the meantime, progress is already under way towards our goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040. This includes the upcoming launch of a cervical screening pilot for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling, which is expected to begin in March. Self-sampling will be offered in selected GP practices within some of Scotland’s most deprived areas to women who have never, or rarely have, been screened. This pilot will inform the planning of a national roll-out of self sampling, and increase uptake within the cervical screening programme.