Nurse helpline sees over 1000% rise in cervical screening queries

A charity nursing helpline has seen an increase of more than 1000% in queries related to cervical screenings amid boosted education and awareness among the public, as well as changes to screening intervals.

Helen Hyndman, lead nurse at The Eve Appeal, a UK leading gynae cancer charity, said there had been a 1,341% increase in cervical related queries to the charity’s helpline ‘Ask Eve’ in the last 12 months.

Ms Hyndman said an increase in education and awareness, coupled with the closure of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust in 2024, had led to more queries around self-sampling, self-testing, and different pathways following a cervical screening test.

Women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 are offered the exams with the first invitation arriving at age 24.5, with regular screenings conducted every five years until age 64 to check for high-risk HPV. Those over 65 are only invited if they have recently had abnormal results.

‘I think it’s good thing,’ said Ms Hyndman, speaking to Nursing in Practice. ‘We as a charity and other organisations have been doing a lot more work, we’ve been more focused on those people who maybe struggle to access screening or have barriers.

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‘Particularly we’ve seen a big increase in the LGBTQ+ communities as well. So I think that information, awareness raising and education is really key for the increasing numbers which is a good thing.

‘I would much rather people contract us and then we can give them correct information, the correct support and signpost them to where they need to be.’

Explaining some of the different queries the helpline receives, Ms Hyndman said: ‘Those figures are attributed to so many different things.

‘Self-sampling and self-testing is a huge one. But also those questions that people struggle to get answers to, and they shouldn’t… so things about their cervical screening results, what is HPV, how does that impact on relationships, does that mean they’re going to get cancer – those sort of things.

‘There are colposcopy related questions, effects after having a LEEP procedure [Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure], how to prepare for cervical screening, and whether it is needed if you’re not in a sexual relationship.’

Ms Hyndman said there were also operational queries about how to access results that haven’t been received, whether people receive a cervical test before their next check-up and screening options after the age of 65.

There have also been queries around the new extended five-year wait between cervical cancer screenings.

NHS England announced in June last year that its new cervical screening programme will invite eligible to 25- to 49-year-olds every five years instead of every three years if their routine screening shows they do not have HPV.

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The change, which came into effect from July 2025, followed recommendations from the UK National Screening Committee, an independent body of experts who review screening evidence and advise the four UK governments.

However, Ms Hyndman said the change had caused ‘a lot of concern and a lot of stress’ for patients who have previously tested positive for HPV.

Speaking at the Nursing in Practice London event at the Business Design Centre last month (30 April), Ms Hyndman explained that even if a patient has previously been HPV positive but later tested negative, their screenings will return to five years.

‘Once they are negative [it goes back to five years] and this is what’s causing a lot of concern and a lot of stress for patients,’ she said.

Ms Hyndman advised nurses to contact the charity directly with any queries as well as the NHS Cervical Screening Administration Service.

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She added: ‘I think we should be acknowledging the fantastic contributions nurses make and how integral they are to cervical screenings. I think it’s always a good thing to thank them and reiterate how grateful we are for all the support they give and all the work they do to make cervical screenings accessible.’

The government announced last year that home kits for cervical cancer screening will be offered to under-screened women and those who have missed their invite.

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