A new system to support the NHS cervical screening programme is set to go live in October 2021, NHS Digital has announced.
Ahead of the launch, NHS Digital has published resources to support cervical screening teams prepare for the system, highlighting actions to be taken before the system goes live.
To support preparations, NHSX, wrote in a blog post this week what the new system introduces and what it means for transforming screening services. Dr Eccles said: “We’re now prioritising multi-channel engagement so participants will be able to find out about, make informed screening decisions, and track their results through a range of mechanisms – web, app, email and letter – according to their preferences.”
The cloud-based system is being introduced to replace the current legacy system, said to use data from 80 different databases. One of the aims of introducing the system it to help make the uptake of screening more personalised and targeted. It will also link into the NHS Personal Demographics Service (PDS) to provide a single source of national patient demographic information.
Dr Eccles added: “We have witnessed the importance of personalisation in COVID-19 vaccination and testing delivery, and how critical equity is to improving overall population health. There are opportunities now to work across preventative health and to simplify how we engage with people in ways that best suit them.”
Following the launch of the NHS Cervical Screening Management System, each screening service will come into focus, with NHSX aiming to share plans and its preferred architectural approach for use across screening pathways by the end of 2021. In 2022, NHSX said they will start with breast screening services.
For more information on the new NHS Cervical Screening Management System please click here.
In other news, HTN recently reported on NHS Digital announcing its commitments to new workforce diversity targets and details for its new Data Uses Register.
