Changes To Invites - July 2025
More accurate human papillomavirus (HPV) testing will enable millions of women and people with a cervix in England to benefit from more personalised cervical screening, the NHS has announced today.
From July 2025, younger women (aged 25 to 49) who test negative for HPV, meaning they are at very low risk of cervical cancer over the next 10 years, will safely be invited at 5-year intervals rather than 3, in line with major clinical evidence.
Those whose sample indicates the presence of HPV or who have a recent history of HPV, which causes nearly all cervical cancers, will continue to be invited to more frequent screenings to check HPV has cleared and if not, if any cell changes have developed. The move follows a recommendation by the UK National Screening Committee, and is the approach already used for women aged 50 to 64 in England. NHS England » NHS rolls out more personalised cervical screening for millions
Digital Invites - July 2025
Testing has now been completed for the rollout of digital invitations for the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, and we expect digital invitations to go live in July 2025.
The initial stage of rollout will be digital invitations (not results at this stage) using the NHS app and text messages. Anyone who doesn’t read the NHS app message or where an SMS (text) can’t be delivered (including where people don't have a recorded mobile phone), a letter will be sent as a failsafe. All invites will still direct people to book in the usual way.
In the meantime, please make sure you download the NHS app and turn on notifications: www.nhs.uk/nhs-app
HPV - Self Sampling Test
In June 2025 the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) recommended that women and people with a cervix who never or rarely attend their routine cervical screening appointments can be offered a HPV self-sampling test option. The NHS Cervical Screening Programme will now accelerate its plans to roll out this option from early 2026. A Q&A for cervical screening staff can be found here.