HPV primary screening - implementation
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) primary screening was fully implemented in December 20191. With HPV primary testing, a sample is first tested for HPV and where the test result is positive, a cytology screen is then performed. See appendix J for further details.
This change will affect activity during the year because pathways for HPV primary testing are different from HPV triage testing. See Appendix A for full details on HPV primary screening and HPV triage.
Annual data for 2019-20 includes activity for both HPV triage and HPV primary testing pathways. Therefore, it is difficult to say with certainty which changes are a result of the implementation of HPV primary, and which are the result of other factors.
HPV primary screening – laboratory changes:
The implementation of HPV primary screening across England was completed in December 2019 and resulted in a consolidation of cytology services to 8 sites from the previous 48 sites. Of the 48 laboratories, 3 stopped processing cervical samples prior to 2019-20 and 45 laboratories carried out cervical screening activity during 2019-20. Appendix J has a table summarising these changes2.
COVID-19 and the production of statistics
Disruption from the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) is starting to affect the quality of our statistics, such as an increase in non-submissions for some datasets. This report includes new data for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, therefore most programme activity is unaffected by COVID-19. However, data collection and submission processes, which continued after 31 March 2020 are more significantly affected by COVID-19 disruption.
Data should be interpreted with care over the COVID-19 period.
COVID-19 – associated changes:
The impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic has minimal impact on this data report. The data is collected from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. The pandemic started to become evident for the last two weeks of this data report. The effects of the pandemic are likely to be more evident in the 2020-21 report.
1 https://phescreening.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/significant-landmark-as-primary-hpv-screening-is-offered-across-england/
2 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-primary-hpv-screening-implementation/cervical-screening-implementation-guide-for-primary-hpv-screening