A Waltham Forest GP said it is “deeply concerning” that women are missing their smear tests which could prevent them developing a potentially-fatal disease.  

Dr Mayank Shah, Clinical Director for Cancer Services at Waltham Forest Clinical Commissioning Group, is urging women aged between 25 and 64 to attend a free NHS screening every three to five years.

Ahead of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week which runs from Monday January 22 to Sunday 28, women are encouraged to join the #SmearForSmear campaign by taking a selfie of themselves with smeared lipstick and sharing it on social media.

In Waltham Forest only 64.6 per cent of women aged between 25 and 49, and 78.8 per cent of women aged between 50 and 64 attend their smear test when invited.

Dr Shah said: “It is deeply concerning that some women are still not taking the opportunity to have this free and potentially life-saving screening.

“I cannot emphasise enough the importance of women attending their smear test when invited. Prevention is key to improving cancer survival rates, and the CCG is supporting Cervical Cancer Prevention Week to increase screening uptake in Waltham Forest and help women reduce their risk of cervical cancer.”

The screenings help identify pre-cancerous cells and treat women at increased risk of cervical cancer. This prevents around 75 per cent of cervical cancers from developing and saves an estimated 5,000 lives each year in the UK.

Despite the importance of screening, one in four women in England still fail to attend their smear test – and nine new cervical cancer cases are diagnosed every day.