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UK NSC consultations

The UK NSC is consulting on whether to offer a human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling option to under-screened people in the cervical screening programme.

Consultation now open

The UK NSC is consulting on the following recommendation:

Self-sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing should be offered to under-screened people eligible for the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in the 4 UK countries, where service commissioners think self-sampling would be a helpful addition to the programme.

Any individual or organisation can respond to the consultation. To participate, please visit the cervical screening recommendation page for more information and to download the consultation documents.

Please note the instructions on the recommendation page regarding how to submit your comments.

The consultation will close on 26 February 2025 at 11.59pm.

Types of UK NSC consultation

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) runs the following types of public consultations.

Condition recommendation consultations

These relate to whether to screen for a certain condition. They are the most common type of consultation. The UK NSC reviews conditions every 3 years to determine whether it can recommend a screening programme. You can find these conditions in the UK NSC’s recommendations list.

There are slightly different review processes depending on whether the condition is currently recommended or not currently recommended for screening.

Programme change consultations

For conditions where there is already a population screening programme, the UK NSC carries out programme change reviews. They relate to how to screen, rather than whether to screen. They are to make recommendations on changing an existing programme, for instance to introduce a new type of screening test.

Open consultations

There is an open consultation relating to cervical screening. See details above.

Closed programme change consultations

Find details of all previous (closed) UK NSC programme change consultations.

Subscribe to UK NSC updates to receive alerts when the UK NSC opens screening consultations into conditions you are interested in.

Updates to this page

Published 14 May 2021
Last updated 4 December 2024 + show all updates
  1. Opening of consultation into a recommendation to offer HPV self-sampling option to under-screened people in the cervical screening programme.

  2. Consultation open into dental disease screening in children aged 6 to 9 years.

  3. Closing of consultation into Edwards' syndrome screening pathway modification.

  4. Addition of consultation into addition of quad test to Edwards' syndrome screening pathway.

  5. Digital pathology consultation has ended.

  6. Consultation opens on allowing use of digital pathology in cancer screening programmes.

  7. Vasa praevia consultation has ended

  8. Opening of consultation into screening for vasa praevia.

  9. End of pre-eclampsia consultation

  10. End of HTLV consultation

  11. End of iron deficiency anaemia consultation

  12. opening of consultation on pre-eclampsia

  13. Consultation opened for human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) type 1

  14. End of autism consultation

  15. Consultation on lung cancer screening has closed.

  16. Consultation closed on screening for primary hypertension in children and young people

  17. Opening consultation on screening for iron deficiency anaemia in children.

  18. Consultation opened on screening for autism.

  19. End of consultation on tyrosinaemia.

  20. Added details that the population screening programme consultation for lung cancer is now open.

  21. Opening of public consultation on screening for primary hypertension in children and young people.

  22. Consultation closed for cytomegalovirus.

  23. End of thyroid disease consultation period

  24. UK NSC consultation on tyrosinaemia now open.

  25. Consultation opened into screening for cytomegalovirus (CMV).

  26. Updated list of current UK NSC consultations to include consultation on thyroid disease.

  27. Updated the list of current UK NSC consultations.

  28. Added alcohol misuse and Duchenne muscular dystrophy to the current consultations.

  29. The UK NSC has started consultations on screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia, automated grading in diabetic eye screening and the use of AI in breast cancer screening.

  30. First published.