Cervical screening resources
On this page, you’ll find links to useful information and resources relating to cervical screening for health and social care professionals, patients and service users.
Information on cervical screening for health and social care professionals
This section provides links to resources on cervical screening for health and social care professionals. Some of these resources may also be beneficial for patients and service users.
Cancer screening and people with learning disabilities
Guidance to help health professionals, social care staff and family members to help someone with learning disabilities to be screened for cancer.
Supporting women with learning disabilities to access cervical screening
Information to support women with learning disabilities to access cervical screening.
Guidance on cervical screening: ideas for improving access and uptake
Guidance to help primary care, commissioners and local authorities plan and evaluate initiatives around cervical screening coverage in their area.
The Survivors Trust: guidance on cervical screening for healthcare professionals
A guide for healthcare professionals to help raise awareness of the small but crucial adjustments healthcare professionals like you can make to help make healthcare more accessible to survivors of rape, sexual abuse and sexual violence.
Documents relating to the universal human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for girls and boys.
Cervical screening: cervical sample taker training
This guidance describes a post registration education pathway for new cervical sample takers in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP).
Cervical screening invitation letter: easy read format
Healthcare professionals, family and carers can use the easy read letter to explain cervical screening to people with learning disabilities.
Information on cervical screening for patients and service users
This section provides information on cervical screening for patients and service users, including specific audiences and information in accessible formats.
Female lifetime screening pathway
a short video for patients by the UK National Screening Committee explaining more about the cervical screening pathway.
NHS cervical screening: helping you decide
A leaflet about cervical screening for patients. This leaflet is also available in other languages.
Patient leaflet: reviewing your cervical screening history
Guidance for patients who have previously been diagnosed with cervical cancer to support on reviewing their cervical screening history to check that any cervical screening tests and investigations have been carried out in line with NHS Cervical Screening Programme standards.
This page includes information on why and when you may be invited for cervical screening and who should go, how to book/change an appointment, what happens during a cervical screening appointment, and the results.
An overview of cervical cancer for patients
An NHS guide providing an overview of cervical cancer, including symptoms and causes.
An NHS overview of Human papillomavirus (HPV)
An overview of HPV, including symptoms, causes and the link to cervical cancer.
An NHS overview of the HPV vaccine
An introduction to the HPV vaccine, including what it’s for, who should have it and how to get it.
Patient information: having a colposcopy
Information for patients on having a colposcopy, including why they’ve been invited and what it involves.
NHS population screening: information for trans and non-binary people
Information for trans (transgender) and non-binary people in England about the adult NHS screening programmes that are available in England and who is invited for screening.
Jo’s Trust: Information on cervical screening for trans men and/or non-binary people.
NHS cervical screening for trans men
Information on cervical screening for trans men.
Guidance on cervical screening for lesbian and bisexual women
Advice on cervical screening for lesbian and bisexual women.
Guidance: cervical screening: support for people who feel anxious about attending
Guidance to support people who find it hard to attend cervical screening due to a mental health condition, previous traumatic experience or sexual and/or domestic abuse.
Checklist for patients to use who may need extra support when attending cervical screening
Extra support checklist that patients can complete and take with them to their screening test appointment
Information for patients on The Havens, specialist centres in London for people who have been raped or sexually assaulted.
Service offering cervical screening, contraceptive care, STI testing and maternity care for people who’ve experienced sexual violence.
An umbrella agency for specialist rape and sexual abuse services in the UK.
Patient information on cervical screening after sexual violence.
Jo’s Trust – cervical screening and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
a blog post on cervical screening and FGM.
NHS video: cervical screening after sexual assault
This video describes the support available for women who find cervical screening difficult because of previous sexual assault.
Guide: An easy read guide to having a smear test
This leaflet offers a guide to breast screening for people with a learning disability. It explains what cervical cancer is, highlights the risks and benefits of cervical screening, and describes the process of being screened.
Jo’s Trust: Information on smear tests for people with learning disabilities
UK cervical cancer charity providing information on cervical screening for people with a learning disability
Jo’s Trust: Having a smear test – what is it about: easy read version using browsealoud
Jo’s Trust, Uk’s cervical cancer charity, easy read leaflet, read aloud version, for women thinking about having a smear test.
Beyond Words: an easy guide to cervical screening – illustrated version
This booklets can be used by health professionals, family and carers to explain the Cervical Screening Programme to people who cannot read or do not like written words.
UK leading cervical cancer charity.
UK registered charity. Independent funder of cancer research.
Gynaecological cancer research charity.
General information on screening for health and social care professionals
This section provides links to a range of general resources related to screening for health and social care professionals.
Guidance: improving access to screening for people with an SMI
Information for commissioners and screening providers, to help improve access to screening for people with SMI, including those in high, medium and low secure mental healthcare settings.
Report: inequalities in cancer screening for people with an SMI
This report presents analysis of differences in the uptake of bowel, breast and cervical cancer screening in England between people with and without SMI.
Guidance: improving access for people in secure and detained settings
This guidance provides information on how to improve access to screening for people in secure and detained settings. It is designed to be used by providers and commissioners of local NHS screening services as well as prison healthcare teams.
Blog: addressing inequalities in LGBTQI+ cancer screening coverage
Public Health England (PHE) existed to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It closed on 30 September 2021 with it’s responsibilities being passed to the UK Health Security Agency (HSA). This blog is no longer updated.
Cancer screening and people with learning disabilities
This guidance signposts resources that can be used to support people with learning disabilities to have cervical, breast or bowel screening.
Guidance on opting out of screening
Guidance for healthcare professionals to use with patients who want to opt out of screening
Guidance: Duty of Candour (2020)
This publication provides advice to providers and commissioners of NHS screening programmes on best practice around duty of candour.
Other useful screening information and resources for patients and service users
This section provides links to other useful resources around screening, such as: registering with a GP to ensure patients receive screening invitations; opting out of screening; and determining cancer risk.
To ensure that patients receive invitations to cervical screening, they need to be registered with a GP. The following resources will provide guidance and support on this.
Find your local GP (opens in a new window)
An NHS service that helps to locate GPs based on a UK postcode search.
Registering with a GP: a guide for people experiencing homelessness (PDF)
Registering with a GP: a guide for Gypsy, Traveller, and Roma communities (PDF)
Registering with a GP: a guide for asylum seekers and refugees (PDF)
Family doctor service registration form (GMS1) (opens in a new window)
Population screening explained
A HM Government guide that sets out what population screening is, how it works, and its limitations.
Population screening timeline (PDF)
an NHS infographic showing when different types of screening are offered including cervical screening.
Guidance on opting out of screening
A general guide on what a patient needs to do if they choose to opt out of screening, including cervical screening.
Reducing inequalities and barriers in accessing NHS screening programmes
A series of short video clips of service users with learning disabilities talking about screening.
Population screening support for carers
Guidance to support carers and care providers to understand the NHS screening programmes.
Guidance: cancer screening for people with learning disabilities
A guide for healthcare professionals, social care staff and family members.