Cervical screening programmes will resume again in Scotland today, it has been announced.
Some NHS Scotland national screening programmes were put on hold in March to minimise the risk of infection and allow staff to focus on tackling coronavirus pandemic.
The Scottish Government confirmed that from today (Monday, June 29) anyone who was invited for cervical screening before the pause and was yet to make an appointment or had their appointment cancelled will be able to contact their GP practice to make an appointment.
Appointment invitations and reminders will be posted from mid-July, with invitations sent first to those who receive more frequent (non-routine) cervical screening appointments. Routine screening will recommence once NHS Scotland has caught up with non-routine appointments affected by the pause.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said:“Pausing the adult national screening programmes was one of a series of difficult decisions we have had to make in responding to the impact of COVID-19.
"The programmes were temporarily paused on 30 March in order to reduce the risk of patients becoming infected with the virus, to enable physical distancing and minimise the impact on essential NHS services as they responded to COVID-19.
“Our plans to resume the screening programmes are based on expert clinical advice and the recommendations of the Scottish Screening Committee. They have been discussed and agreed with Health Board Chief Executives as part of the planned safe and incremental remobilisation of NHS Scotland.
“The safety of patients and staff will continue to be our priority as the screening programmes restart and expand. I want to reassure you that we are taking these precautions so that we can safely offer the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”
