Quarter of million miss smear tests

NUMBERS COMING FORWARD FALLS AFTER CHECKS PUT ON HOLD DURING PANDEMIC

- CLAIRE MILLER & HELENA VESTY

MORE than 250,000 women in Greater Manchester missed their latest cervical screening, commonly referred to as a smear test.

The revealing figures come as, in certain areas of the country, some 1 in 2 women and people with a cervix don't attend cervical screening when invited, according to cancer experts.

Invitations for cervical screening were suspended in April 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and resumed from June 2020. While those with symptoms or previous history were still seen, checks were put on hold for those who were lower risk.

Across England, just 67.9 per cent of those aged 25 to 49 invited to screening had a test in the previous three years as of March last year. That was the lowest level since records began in 2002.