English cervical screening falls to ten-year low

Cervical cancer screening take-up in England has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, according to a new charity report.

Data from Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust has revealed that since 2002, figures have declined steadily year on year, culminating in a drop of three percentage points in screening uptake to 78.6 per cent over the past ten years.

The exception to this trend was a dramatic spike in 2009 following media personality Jade Goody's high-profile battle with the disease, with the charity launching a new advertising campaign to raise awareness of the condition.

According to the report, barriers to attending cervical screening tests include a perception that tests are unnecessary or difficult to arrange, while a lack of understanding of the condition was also highlighted.

Robert Music, director of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said: "The more we can do to stress the importance of this life-saving test the better."

Further data from the charity suggests that one in four women in Scotland and Wales are also failing to take up their screening invitations.