Level of Need
Cervical screening coverage data is collected to the practice level, while incidence or mortality data is not.
The national acceptable threshold of cervical screening coverage is 80%. Despite the high borough level coverage of 75.5% for the 25-49 cohort and 75.9% for the 50-64 cohort, both being higher than the England trend, cervical screening uptake is not equal across the eligible population or borough8.
Nationally and locally, screening coverage varies by deprivation, gender, and ethnicity with those least likely to screen, more likely to die from cervical cancer9. Nationally, the incidence rate of cervical cancer is highest amongst women aged 30-34, in females in the most deprived quintile compared to the least (65%)increase in incidence rate), and amongst white British women compared to other ethnicities[18].
Cervical screening coverage in North Tyneside for those with a learning disability are lower, with 38.5% of 25–49-year-olds screened in the last 3 years and 40.5% of 50–64-year-olds screened in the last 5 years[19].
These trends are mirrored in screening uptake nationally, with the older cohort have higher screening uptake compared the younger cohort of 25-49, however in North Tyneside this has not been the case, with both age cohorts performing at similar levels. North Tyneside does follow the national trends in terms of ethnicity and deprivation if GP practice variation is used as a proxy for deprivation amongst the population, they serve7,8The data in table 1 highlights the variation in coverage across North Tyneside.
Table 1: 2023-2024 Cervical Screening coverage for England, Borough and PCNs, showing the variation within each PCN 7 8
| National | North Tyneside | North Shields PCN | North West PCN | Wallsend PCN | Whiltey Bay PCN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 (Totals) | 67.5 | 75.5 | 73.9 | 77.3 | 71.7 | 79.6 | |
| 25-49 | Highest and Lowest GP uptake for each PCN (%) |
69.5-83.3 | 69.5-75 | 71.8-81.8 | 70.4-72.9 | 73-83.3 | |
| 2023/24 (Totals) | 74.9 | 76.0 | 73.9 | 75.1 | 72.3 | 81.0 | |
| 50-64 | Highest and Lowest GP uptake for each PCN (%) |
69.9-84.4 | 69.9-78.8 | 70.6-81.5 | 70.7-74.6 | 71.4-84.4 |
[18] 18.Cervical cancer incidence statistics. Available at: Cervical cancer incidence statistics | Cancer Research UK [accessed 13/6/2025]
[19]RAIDR (2025), Available on request from NENC ICB