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Written question asked by Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour) on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 September 2026. It was answered by Diana Johnson (Labour) on Friday, 11 September 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomavirus

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of using the Making Every Contact Count approach on improving access to (a) HPV vaccination and (b) cervical screening, as part of the Government's ambition to eliminate cervical cancer in England by 2040.

Answer

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme is highly effective at preventing cancer as well as detecting disease early, primarily through the identification and treatment of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and pre-cancerous changes.

On 25 August 2026, the National Health Service in England announced the roll out the new self-testing kits to encourage more women to complete their potentially lifesaving screening to detect HPV, which can increase the risk of cervical cancer.

NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency do not routinely report or publish HPV vaccination coverage data for post-school-age catch-up cohorts. Approaches to evaluating the impact of the 2025/26 general practice HPV vaccination catch-up campaign on vaccination uptake among eligible young people are currently being explored.

Health is a devolved matter, and cancer services in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of their respective administrations. The National Cancer Plan therefore applies to England only, while we continue to work closely with devolved administrations to share learning and best practice.

No formal assessment of the Making Every Contact Count impact on HPV vaccination or cervical screening is planned although we recognise its importance in encouraging uptake of vaccination and screening services. Uptake of HPV vaccination and coverage of cervical screening will continue to be monitored through established programme arrangements.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
26115
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Cervical cancer Screening Vaccination Human papillomavirus
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk