Are you ready for primary molecular screening for human papillomavirus?

By December 2019, women in the UK will have access to a more reliable, sensitive test as the primary form of screening as part of the Cervical Screening Programme.¹ This positive move reflects the January 2016 recommendation by the National Screening Committee (NSC) to replace cytological screening with the molecular human papillomavirus (HPV) test – a more accurate test that could prevent around 600 cancers a year.¹

To provide the service, NHS England intends to consolidate testing laboratories providing cervical screening to only 13 sites; a decision which will see the number of laboratories involved cut by up to 80% in England.2 The Institute of Biomedical Science has warned that this change may compound backlogs and delays, and laboratories involved must ensure they are able to continue to provide a quality service while this change is implemented.² Therefore, it is crucial that the HPV provider laboratories select the right technology to enable them to deliver accurate results and meet target turnaround times.

Vicki Bokor-Ingram (Roche Diagnostics, UK & Ireland) comments: “About five million women are invited to attend cervical screening each year, although the total number of women attending can be 77–83% of this figure.³ With around 3200 new cervical cancer cases in the UK every year,⁴ it is vital that the changes implemented cause minimal impact, and the 13 provider sites in England continue to offer a service that delivers accurate and timely results. In talking to laboratories about the move to HPV primary screening, the biggest question they ask us is how we can help them on this journey.”