Doctors' fears number of people having cervical cancer screening could plummet following closure of top UK charity Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust closed after two decades due to financial difficulties By Jo Macfarlane for The Mail on Sunday Published: 19:53 EDT, 25 May 2024 | Updated: 19:54 EDT, 25 May 2024 e-mail View comments The number of people having cervical cancer screening could plummet following the closure of one of the UK's leading charities, doctors warn. Last week, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust closed after two decades due to financial difficulties. The charity had been essential in encouraging uptake of the HPV vaccine and routine cervical cancer screening tests, which check for pre-cancerous changes – considered the best way to protect against the disease.
According to the latest figures, the number of women coming forward for the routine smear test has fallen to a record low following the Covid pandemic. Now doctors say the NHS will struggle to push screening numbers up without the charity's resources and campaigns. Doctors fear that the number of people coming forward for cervical cancer screening could plummet following the closure of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust (file photo) London-based GP Nisa Aslam called the closure 'a huge loss for women's health', and said she often referred patients to the charity's website for information, which she believes increased the chances of them getting tested.
She added: 'The closure will have a huge impact on the number of women.
