Welcome to our latest news summary featuring updates from the National Screening Service (NSS). To keep up to date with our news, including upcoming events and job opportunities, read our news reports, follow us on X @NSShse, LinkedIn, and on Bluesky @nsshse.
New CervicalCheck initiative aims to give women more timely access to screening
We are inviting some women to come for cervical screening a few months before their due date this year.
Our data modelling for the next two years shows that a larger-than-usual number of women will be due their cervical screening in late 2025 and throughout 2026. This arises from the COVID-related pause in cervical screening between March and July in 2020. A large number of women availed of screening when it resumed in 2020, and most of them are on a five-year recall. As they were due to be invited for screening later this year and during the first half of 2026, this could create a potential spike in demand for screening.
In order to balance the timing of our invitations, this month we sent cervical screening invitations to 25,000 women who were due to be invited in August and September this year. This will help avoid a surge in cervical screening appointments, demands on laboratory services, and subsequent referrals to colposcopy.
NSS plays role in prostate cancer pilot screening study
We are supporting a pioneering prostate cancer screening study led by University College Dublin. The pilot began on 24 February and is also supported by the Irish Society of Urology and Movember. It aims to transform how prostate cancer is detected.
The pilot is part of PRAISE-U (PRostate cancer Awareness and Initiative for Screening in the European Union) which is studying how organised prostate cancer screening programmes can be implemented in a way that is feasible and cost-effective.
The Irish study will assess the feasibility and effectiveness of using a home-based finger prick prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, with the goal of improving early detection and reducing prostate cancer mortality rates. Get more information at prostatecheck.ie
Animated videos now available in eight more languages
We have translated our animated videos on screening into 8 additional languages.
The videos were developed for use in communities to support people to think about screening and understand our programmes better. We hear from our community screening champions how useful translated materials are for their work. The videos show people what to expect during a screening test, with voiceovers and subtitles using plain language.
The 8 languages are: Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, Pashto, Romanian, Slovak and Somali.
New edition of DRS quality assurance standards published
We have published a new edition of the Standards for Quality Assurance in Diabetic Retinopathy Screening. It sets out the quality standards and requirements against which our Diabetic RetinaScreen (DRS) programme is measured across the screening pathway, including registration, invitations to screening, screening uptake, quality of screening, test results, referrals for timely treatment, and workforce training and competency.
We value your feedback. Email: communications@screeningservice.ie