Nearly a third of women eligible for life-saving cervical cancer screening are being missed.
And the NHS doesn’t know if everyone who should be invited for screening is being contacted.
There is also a significant variation in screening rates in different parts of the country - but areas in the North East are consistently reaching more of the population than areas of London.
The findings were published by a House of Commons inquiry whose members included Bridget Phillipson, Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South.
MPs took evidence on the management of the UK’s screening programmes for bowel, breast and cervical cancers and abdominal aortic aneurism, four of the 11 health screening programmes operating in England.
In 2017–18, almost eight million people were screened for these conditions at a cost of £423 million.
But many others were missed.
Just 71.7% of the eligible population, or 3.2 million women, were screened for cervical cancer in 2017–18, which represents a 21-year low.
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The MPs said in a report: ”We are extremely concerned about the massive disparity around the country with some areas in the North East consistently reaching more of their eligible populations than areas of London.”
And just one out of 207 areas across the country succeeded in meeting the target of screening 80% of its eligible population for cervical cancer screening.
Ms Phillipson said: “Our inquiry has highlighted a failure to ensure that health screening programmes are taken up by all they are offered to.
“Screening for cervical cancer can pick up problems before they become more serious, saving thousands of lives each year. Yet screening rates have reached a 21 year low - with almost a quarter of eligible women missing out on their screening appointment in Sunderland.
“The long waits for delayed results also cause unnecessary stress and uncertainty.
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“It is simply unacceptable that just under a quarter of women screened in Sunderland received their results within the 14-day national target, while others have endured unacceptably long waits stretching far beyond target waiting periods.
“The government has a duty to ensure that everyone has access to health screening. We need to make it much easier and more convenient for women to access cervical screening appointments.”
