Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve cervical screening uptake in (a) Slough, (b) the South East and (c) England.

In the South East, NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to work with clinical commissioning groups and (general practitioner) GP practices to improve access to general practice and increase the capacity of the workforce. Regional teams will be working with systems in Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire areas, which includes Slough, to maximise the impact of schemes such as the Primary Care Network Directed Enhanced Service Impact and Investment Fund, aimed at early detection of cancer and addressing inequalities.

In some Primary Care Network areas in England, appointments can now be made in any primary care setting, other than the GP practice where an individual is registered. More routine screening appointments are now available at evening and weekends. In addition, increased access to appointments are also available in some areas via integrated sexual health clinics.