Cervical cancer screening: Thousands of Scottish women who were excluded from smear tests to be invited for check-ups

Thousands of women who were excluded from undergoing cervical cancer tests after undergoing hysterectomies are to be invited for check-ups.

Attending for a smear test could be life-saving

About 13,000 women were removed from the national cervical screening programme after having hysterectomies and are now being offered appointments after it emerged they may have been excluded by mistake.

Women aged 25-64 are offered smear tests checking for human papillomavirus (HPV) which is the main cause of cervical cancer. However, some women were recorded as having had total hysterectomies, when they had only had subtotal hysterectomies, meaning part of the cervix remained and cervical screening continued to be necessary.

Three women are reported to have developed cervical cancer after being incorrectly removed from the screening programme.

The issue came to light in 2021, leading to a review of the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme where the medical records of about 200,000 women were checked.

The then public health minister, Maree Todd, instructed Health Improvement Scotland to look at the processes, systems and governance for when women are permanently removed from the list for cervical screening.

According to a letter sent to Scottish health boards by the deputy director of the Scottish Government’s General Practice Policy Division, Naureen Ahmad, the records of an estimated 13,000 women were “inconclusive” as to whether they were correctly excluded or should have continued to have the checks.

Ms Ahmad told health boards modelling conducted by the Scottish Government suggests “around 8,000 screening appointments will be needed across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has apologised to the women affected by the audit”.

“We apologise for any anxiety caused by the audit being undertaken in the cervical screening programme,” a spokesperson said.

“The risk to those who have been excluded is low and it is very much a precautionary step as the overwhelming majority of exclusions will be correct.

“Everyone who has been affected will be contacted by the screening programme.”

Ms Ahmad’s letter to health boards added that “processes have since been implemented to prevent future occurrences”, including: “Strengthened verifications that the exclusion has been appropriately added; clearer guidelines on clinical evidence required and enhanced clinical review of available evidence; and fewer reasons for adding exclusions that will remove individuals permanently from screening.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Tess White said: “This is unacceptable, especially given the horrendous cancer wait times patients are facing under the SNP after Humza Yousaf’s disastrous stewardship of Scotland’s NHS.

“My heart goes out to the women who have suffered as a result of this blunder. Cervical cancer screening is of vital importance and women everywhere will understandably be very concerned by the news that so many medical records are inconclusive.

“The SNP Government must make every effort to ensure that any women who may have been excluded from screening programmes are contacted as soon as possible and offered all the support they need.”

The Scottish Government spokesperson added: “In partnership with NHS Scotland, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has made its national Helpline available to anyone with concerns. You can get more information, advice and support by contacting the free Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust Helpline on 0808 802 8000.”