About screening
Screening is the process of identifying apparently healthy people who may have an increased chance of a disease or condition. The four national NHS cancer screening programmes - Bowel, Breast, Cervical and Lung (from February 2025) - can save lives and improve quality of life through early diagnosis. Screening plays a key role in achieving the NHS’s ambition to diagnose 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028.
Ensuring regular participation in screening programmes is central to increasing the rate of early diagnosis of cancer.
Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance is working with our three Integrated Care System (ICS) partners - Frimley, Surrey Heartlands and NHS Sussex, including primary care networks, screening centres and screening hubs - to encourage screening participation to achieve the national screening targets.
HPV vaccination
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine programme plays an important role in cancer prevention.
The NHS has an ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. To meet that target, it needs to ensure as many people as possible are being vaccinated against HPV, while also coming forward for cervical screening.
The HPV vaccine used in the NHS programme protects against 9 high-risk types of HPV which can cause 99%* of cervical cancers, plus mouth, anal, penile, vulval and vaginal cancers. (*World Health Organisation)
Year 8 schoolchildren are given the HPV vaccine through the school immunisation programme. If a child misses their HPV vaccine at school, they can catch up with the vaccine through their school or GP practice and remain eligible to receive it until they turn 25.
Men who have sex with men can have the vaccine up to the age of 45 from sexual health clinics. There is no age limit for people who are immunosuppressed.
It is important for all girls who have received the HPV vaccine to also have regular cervical screening once they reach 25.
Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance has produced a toolkit for colleagues in general practice to improve opportunistic uptake of the HPV vaccine for the catch-up cohort. Click on the button below to access the toolkit.