IBMS welcomes HPV self-testing rollout and calls for workforce planning to support cervical screening changes

From 25 August 2026, NHS England will begin the phased rollout of HPV self-testing to eligible women aged 30 to 65 who have not attended cervical screening after previous invitations. The initial phase is expected to issue around four million invitations.

The IBMS particularly welcomes the potential for self-testing to reach women who face barriers to attending conventional cervical screening. NHS England expects the programme to help reduce inequalities, improve participant experience and support the ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

However, the Institute stresses that self-testing is an additional route into the cervical screening pathway, not a replacement for cervical screening.  People whose self-test detects high-risk HPV will still need to attend a GP surgery or sexual health clinic for a clinician-taken cervical sample, which can then be examined for cell changes.

A changing screening pathway

The introduction of HPV self-testing comes at a time of significant change for cervical screening services.

The move to five-year screening intervals for eligible people who test negative for high-risk HPV, increased use of digital communications, the introduction of self-testing and the potential adoption of AI-assisted digital cytology will all change the nature and distribution of work across screening services.

While some changes may reduce routine activity, wider use of HPV self-testing could bring more previously under-screened women into the programme and generate additional follow-up activity when high-risk HPV is detected. The IBMS has previously highlighted the need for services to plan for this changing workload while maintaining timely and consistent review within a constrained specialist workforce.

This makes effective workforce planning increasingly important. The cervical cytology workforce is already under significant pressure, with persistent vacancies, an ageing workforce and challenges around training and maintaining specialist expertise. The IBMS has consistently called for long-term workforce planning, investment in training and digital readiness, and protected time for professional development.

IBMS response

David Wells, IBMS Chief Executive, said:

We welcome the introduction of HPV self-testing. Giving women who have not attended cervical screening another way to participate has real potential to improve access, reduce inequalities and ultimately help prevent more cases of cervical cancer.

But every new route into screening has consequences across the wider pathway. We therefore need to look at these developments as one connected programme of change rather than in isolation.

To ensure these changes can be managed safely, services need the right number of appropriately trained biomedical scientists and cytology professionals, with investment in training, technology and infrastructure.

If we want these changes to deliver their full benefit for patients, we must support the skilled professionals behind every test.

As cervical screening continues to evolve, the IBMS will work with NHS organisations, screening programmes and professional partners to ensure that biomedical scientists and laboratory professionals are fully considered in workforce planning and that innovation is introduced in a way that maintains quality, safety and confidence in the screening programme.