Smear Tests: Cervical Cancer Screening: Free of Charge

Information about the publication of Ministerial Decisions

A formal published “Ministerial Decision” is required as a record of the decision of a Minister (or an Assistant Minister where they have delegated authority) as they exercise their responsibilities and powers.

Ministers are elected by the States Assembly and have legal responsibilities and powers as “corporation sole” under the States of Jersey Law 2005 by virtue of their office and in their areas of responsibility, including entering into agreements, and under any legislation conferring on them powers.

An accurate record of “Ministerial Decisions” is vital to effective governance, including:

demonstrating that good governance, and clear lines of accountability and authority, are in place around decisions-making – including the reasons and basis on which a decision is made, and the action required to implement a decision
providing a record of decisions and actions that will be available for examination by States Members, and Panels and Committees of the States Assembly; the public, organisations, and the media; and as a historical record and point of reference for the conduct of public affairs

Ministers are individually accountable to the States Assembly, including for the actions of the departments and agencies which discharge their responsibilities.

The Freedom of Information Law (Jersey) Law 2011 is used as a guide when determining what information is be published. While there is a presumption toward publication to support of transparency and accountability, detailed information may not be published if, for example, it would constitute a breach of data protection, or disclosure would prejudice commercial interest.

A decision made18 April 2018:

Decision Reference: MD-HSS-2018-0018
Decision Summary Title :	New arrangements for cervical cancer screening		Date of Decision Summary:	12 April 2018
Decision Summary Author:	Assistant Director – Policy, Communications and Ministerial Support		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:
Written Report Title :	New arrangements for cervical cancer screening		Date of Written Report:	6 April 2018
Written Report Author:	Assistant Director – Policy, Communications and Ministerial Support		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)Exempt	Public
Subject: Implement a new approach to cervical cancer screening, which makes it free of charge to the individual.
Decision(s) and reasons for the decision: Following a review by the department, the Minister for Health and Social Services decided to introduce a new approach to the provision of cervical screening services. By the end of 2018, the intention is to negotiate a contract with GPs which would allow women to receive a free smear test, either at their GP practice or at Le Bas centre. In the short term, the current fee of £16 for cervical screening applied by HSSD at Le Bas centre will be abolished from 1 June 2018.
Resource Implications: The estimated additional cost to HSSD of making cervical smears free at Le Bas centre is between £53,000 and £182,000 a year depending on take up. This will be funded non-recurrently through P82 monies, with a bid for recurrent funding submitted through MTFP3. Funding for the free screening planned for GP surgeries will be identified during 2018 in co-operation with the Minister for Social Security.
Action required: Moves to be put in place to give effect to the new approach to the provision of cervical screening services.
Signature:		Position: Minister for Health and Social Services
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Smear Tests: Cevical Cancer Screening: Free of Charge

Health and Social Services

New arrangements for cervical cancer screening

Report

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Senator Andrew Green, has announced a new approach to the provision of cervical screening services following a review by the department.

By the end of 2018, the intention is to negotiate a contract with GPs which would allow women to receive a free smear test, either at their GP practice or at Le Bas centre. In the short term, the current fee of £16 for cervical screening at Le Bas centre will be abolished from 1 June 2018 so that no woman is put off being screened on account of their ability to pay.

This initiative means that cervical screening will now be free of charge to the individual, just like the other two cancer screening programmes in Jersey – breast cancer screening for women and bowel cancer screening for men and women.

The estimated additional cost to HSSD of making cervical smears free at Le Bas centre is between £53,000 and £182,000 a year depending on uptake. This will be funded non-recurrently through P82 monies, with a recurrent funding bid submitted through MTFP3.

During 2018, Health and Social Services will work with Social Security to arrange a contract with GP surgeries to provide free screening. The cost of this will depend on the fixed cost of the test to be agreed with GPs.

Further information

Cervical cancer is avoidable if women attend screening. In Jersey, one or two women a year die of cervical cancer.

In line with the UK National Screening Committee recommendations, the cervical screening programme in Jersey is available for women from the age of 25 to 64 at the following intervals:

Age range for cervical screening	Screening interval is:
Women aged 25 to 49	Every three years
Women aged 50 to 64	Every five years

Cervical screening is not performed in younger women as screening under the age of 25 can do more harm than good.

Approximately 25% of smears undertaken are carried out by HSSD at Le Bas, with 75% performed at GP surgeries. Women are charged £16 for cervical screening at Le Bas while if undertaken at a GP’s surgery the amount charged varies. From 1st June, the £16 fee at Le Bas centre will no longer be charged.

HSSD currently pays for the laboratory processing of each test (via the contracted NHS Cytology Laboratory) and for administration of the recall system.

Cervical screening in England, Scotland, Wales, Southern and Northern Ireland is free of charge to women, unless they choose to receive private care.