The review comes after several women were found to have died from cervical cancer after being wrongly excluded from the NHS Scotland’s screening list back in June 2021. The most common reason for exclusion was after a total hysterectomy, where the entire cervix has been removed, meaning there was no need for cervical screening. However, some were recorded as having had this procedure where there was only a sub-total or partial hysterectomy, meaning cervical screening was still needed.

In a letter to health boards and GP practices in February, the Scottish government confirmed that it expected about 13,000 patients to require further medical investigation. Patients identified as at risk will be invited for appointments over the next 12 months. While the Scottish government has apologised for “any anxiety caused by the audit”, Samantha Dixon, the Chief Executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, has urged women not to be alarmed by the audit.

“This audit is part of a wider piece of work ensuring that everyone eligible for cervical screening is being regularly invited,” she said. “It might sound worrying, but do remember cervical cancer is a rare cancer and risk of developing it remains low.”

The screening programme offers women aged 25-64 smear tests which check for human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the main cause of cervical cancer. The Scottish government has assured patients that the risk to those who have been excluded is low, and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has made its national helpline available to anyone with concerns the number is 0808 802 8000.