Cervical Smear Test Uptake Plummets in Scotland

Uptake for cervical cancer screening in Scotland has seen a significant decline, with figures for 2024-25 revealing that only 41.9% of women attended their tests within six months of invitation. This rate is substantially below the government's target of 80% and represents a drop from 51.9% in the previous year. Public Health Scotland reported that this decrease affected all age groups.

Further data indicates a concerning trend in regular screening, with attendance over the past three-and-a-half or five-and-a-half years falling to 55.3%. A notable disparity exists between socioeconomic groups, as only 49.6% of women in the most deprived areas attended screenings, compared to 58.8% in the least deprived areas. Professor David Morrison of Public Health Scotland stressed the critical importance of these screenings for early detection and prevention, even for those vaccinated against HPV.