Written question WQ84159

Like the rest of the UK, the Welsh Government follows the independent, expert advice of The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UKNSC has made a recommendation for all UK nations to implement the new cervical screening test and change the screening interval from three to five years for those who are HPV negative. This recommendation was made after years of research and UK-wide public consultation.

Since September 2018, Cervical Screening Wales has routinely used a more sensitive cervical screening test which looks for the 14 high-risk types of HPV that cause nearly all cervical cancers. This test therefore helps to prevent more cancers than the previous primary cytology testing as it identifies people who are at risk of cervical cancer before any cell changes have taken place. Previous testing relied on cytologists identifying abnormal cells through a microscope once they had happened.

The new test improves health outcomes by identifying those at a higher risk of cervical cancer earlier. Those who are identified as having HPV will be followed up closely, either by being referred for further review at a hospital colposcopy clinic or by invitation for a further test in a year’s time if there were no cell changes present in their sample. Cervical cancer usually takes many years to develop and if someone tests negative for HPV, then their risk of developing cervical cancer in the next five years is very small.