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<p>The Northern Ireland Executive is responsible for healthcare in Northern Ireland.
The answer to this parliamentary question on cervical screening gives the position
in England.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The NHS Cervical Screening Programme in
England offers screening to women aged 25 to 49 every three years, and women aged
50 to 64 every five years. Women aged over 65 should only be screened if they have
not been screened since age 50 or if they have had recent abnormal results.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Public Health England continues to work with NHS England to
develop a system of performance improvement to increase screening coverage amongst
all eligible age groups, particularly in disadvantaged communities. We fully support
efforts to warn women aged 40 to 64 about the risks of missing their appointments,
as it is important that women above vaccination age realise that cervical screening
is the best way to prevent cervical cancer as abnormalities can be detected and treated
at an earlier stage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In April 2012 the UK National Screening
Committee (UK NSC) gave its support for a pilot to assess the value of using human
papilloma virus (HPV) testing as primary screening for cervical disease, rather than
the currently used cytology test. The pilot is establishing the feasibility of using
HPV as the primary screen for cervical disease in order to achieve better outcomes
for women, while minimising over-treatment and anxiety, and whether it is practical
to roll out nationally. The UK NSC will be reviewing the evidence at its forthcoming
meeting in summer 2015 on whether HPV as primary screening for cervical disease should
replace the currently used cytology test.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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