We’ve published our CervicalCheck Programme Report 2023-2024.
The report outlines programme performance, screening participation and outcomes for the reporting period 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2024.
The report shows that the CervicalCheck programme continues to deliver a high-quality screening service, performing well against quality assurance standards. The programme remains focused on preventing cervical cancer through early detection and treatment of abnormal (pre-cancerous) cell changes, guided by robust standards and international best practice.
Cervical screening overview
During the reporting period, 379,732 women had a cervical screening test. Most women have their cervical screening in a GP practice (primary care):
- 90.2% were taken in primary care settings
- 8.3% were taken in colposcopy clinics
- 1.5% were taken in secondary care clinics, including gynaecology, gynae-oncology and sexual health services.
Results overview
Cervical screening samples are tested first for HPV. If HPV is not found, women are returned to routine screening. If HPV is found, the same sample is checked for abnormal cell changes (cytology). This helps to decide what happens next.
- 11.9% of women screened tested positive for HPV.
- 8,749 women were diagnosed and treated for high-grade abnormal cell changes (CIN2 and CIN3).
- 208 women were diagnosed and treated for cervical cancer.
Among women who tested positive for HPV:
- 43.4% had normal cytology results
- 49.9% had low-grade cell changes
- 6.7% had high-grade cell changes.
Colposcopy overview
Women are referred to colposcopy for further examination when abnormalities are detected, and when HPV is found after 2 consecutive screening tests one year apart, with no abnormal cells detected. The majority of women who attend colposcopy do not require treatment.
- 8.3% of women screened were referred for colposcopy.
- We provided 97,056 colposcopy clinic appointments for new referrals and follow-up appointments.
- 45,080 women attended colposcopy for the first time.
A tissue sample (cervical biopsy) was taken in 46% of colposcopy appointments.
Of these:
- 23% had no evidence of abnormalities
- 52% had low-grade abnormal cells detected, the majority of which do not require treatment
- 24% had high-grade abnormalities detected
- 1% (208 women) were diagnosed with cervical cancer in colposcopy. This is the expected outcome for the number of women who attend colposcopy.
Programme coverage
We have improved how we calculate 5-year screening coverage to align with other international screening programmes. Women who attend for cervical screening within 6 months of receiving their invitation are now considered screened and are included in the 5-year coverage figures.
Using this revised methodology, the 5-year coverage for CervicalCheck at the end of 2024 was 75.8%.
Coverage remains highest among younger women:
- 93% among women aged 25 to 29
- 91% among women aged 30 to 34.
We continue to focus on increasing participation, particularly among women aged over 50 and those aged 60 to 65, where coverage is lowest.
The report also highlights variation in screening participation across the country. 5-year coverage among women aged 25 to 65 varied by county, ranging from 65% to 82%.
Quality assurance and programme improvement
Quality assurance underpins every aspect of the CervicalCheck programme. The report shows that we continued to perform strongly against our Standards for Quality Assurance in Cervical Screening, achieving the majority of programme targets during 2023 and 2024.
Alongside maintaining high standards, we continue to work to improve equity, access and innovation. This included expanding community engagement activities, increasing accessible and translated information, progressing the new CervicalCheck population screening register and supporting research into HPV self-sampling.
Publishing the report, CervicalCheck Clinical Director Professor Nóirín Russell said: “Our commitment to operational excellence ensures that we continue to deliver high-quality, efficient and safe services for the 1.4 million women eligible for cervical screening in Ireland. We extend our thanks to the women who take part in screening, our staff and all our partners across the screening pathway, from primary and community care to our laboratories, colposcopy and histopathology.
“The data in this report demonstrates the important role cervical screening plays in preventing cervical cancer and detecting disease at an early stage when treatment can be more effective. Early detection and timely treatment of cervical cancer can save lives. As Ireland works towards the goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040, we will continue to focus on increasing participation, improving equity in screening and delivering a high-quality, trusted screening programme for women across the country.”