To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future of cervical cancer screening in the NHS and whether ministers will make a statement on the matter.
Cervical screening is and will remain an important part of the Scottish Government''s strategy on reducing the burden of cancer through early detection for many years to come. The introduction of the Human Papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme is expected to have an impact on the prevalence of HPV, and so cervical cancer, amongst women in Scotland in the long term, and this may in due course lead to changes in the screening programme.
The vaccination programme will not have an immediate impact upon the screening programme given that we will need to continue to offer cervical screening to those women who were out with the age range to receive the vaccine. We will continue to take account of epidemiological and surveillance information when taking decisions about the screening programme. The screening programme will also change as new technologies evolve such as automated imaging for cervical cytology and HPV testing.
As a result of research into women''s attitudes to screening, NHS Health Scotland will publish new information leaflets for women which will be sent with the women''s invitation to screening. These will be available later this year. In addition, new leaflets which give more specific information for women attending for the first time and lesbian and bisexual women will be published.