Meeting of the Parliament 08 February 2023
I thank the member for raising that issue. Work is being done to raise awareness among employers and trade unions. In addition, NHS Forth Valley did an interesting project, as part of which it sent cervical screening reminder letters to 8,000 women and gave them the option of booking a day or an evening appointment. Prompted by those letters, a total of 282 women attended, 80 per cent of whom were from areas of higher deprivation. That increase in flexibility is absolutely vital. As a result of that, a few practices are now offering regular screening clinics as a matter of course.
The cervical screening toolkit aims to address falling attendance rates and a lack of understanding of cervical cancer. The toolkit highlights the importance of the vaccine and is leading with new digital assets in raising awareness of HPV and the benefits of cervical screening testing.
The WHO has set a target for 90 per cent of girls to be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15. In line with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advice, an HPV vaccination programme was introduced for girls in Scotland on 1 September 2008. On 1 January 2023, a new single-dose schedule was introduced for those who are eligible up to their 25th birthday. I am absolutely certain that reducing the complexity of the dose schedule will increase the uptake. We envisage that that programme change will increase the number of people who complete their vaccination schedule, as it will remove the requirement for people to be recalled to have a second dose and to manage follow-up appointments. Coverage of the one-dose HPV vaccine is currently at 91.5 per cent for girls in S4. From 1 January 2023, the single dose will be considered to be a completed course of HPV vaccination.
Prevention is the main aim, but it is really important that we ensure that our diagnostics and treatment pathways are maintained for those who need them. We know that the earlier cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat and even cure, which is why we continue to invest in our detect cancer early programme.
Jackie Baillie raised the issue of access to colposcopy appointments. Urgent cases continue to be prioritised and dealt with within four to five weeks, but I absolutely agree that the current situation is not good enough. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recognises the anxiety that the long wait is causing and is taking on locums to tackle the backlog.
As we have heard, the Scottish Government, along with all members here, is absolutely committed to encouraging those who are eligible for cervical screening to engage with the screening programme. I want to be clear: if anyone has any symptoms or suspicion of cancer, they should get checked. To support cervical cancer prevention week, we ran social content on the Scottish Government’s wee c channels throughout the week.
I thank all the partners that help us in achieving our cervical cancer goals. We will continue to work together to further improve people’s awareness of cervical cancer and to increase participation in cervical screening.