Question reference: S5W-35266
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 17 February 2021
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Current status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 March 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what public awareness campaign it has promoted to increase the uptake of cervical screening tests and address disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
A marketing campaign intended to raise awareness and increase uptake of cervical screening was planned for early 2020. Unfortunately, this had to be postponed due to the impact of Covid-19. This campaign will be launched as soon as is practical given the continuing pressures arising from Covid-19, it will also take into account the impact of the pandemic on both uptake and perceptions of the cervical screening programme.
The Scottish Government has also made funding available through its Inequality Fund to a number of partners, some of whom will be carrying out projects to raise awareness of cervical screening.
In the meantime, the Scottish Government and its public health partners continue to promote the importance of cervical screening, for example through social media posts during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, and through targeted outreach, for example projects funded to reduce inequalities in cancer screening programmes.