'I thought my son was going to be left without his mum'

A mother with a history of cervical cancer in the family rails against increase in screening interval from three to five years

- ATHENA STAVROU

A woman whose grandmother and mother both had cervical cancer has called for the reversal of recent changes lengthening the interval between screenings.

Gemma Barley, 34, had to undergo a biopsy in January 2022 after her regular three-year check-up found abnormal cells in her cervix, despite her previous screening being completely clear.

She fears that if she had been subject to new NHS England rules – which have lengthened the time between check-ups to five years – the outcome could have been worse.

“After a regular smear check-up in 2022 I got a letter to say we’ve found something abnormal in your smear and told I needed a biopsy,” the mother-of-one said. “It was like my full life had flashed before my eyes. I thought my son was going to be left without a mum. It was horrifying.”