GovTech NHS Cervical Screening Digital Call-Recall System — NHSCSP

Cervical screening invitation interval

• 25–49 years — 3-year interval
• 50–64 years — 5-year interval
• 65+ — only invited if inadequate/abnormal in last 3 invitations.
• Call-recall logic: daily batch (NHS PDS query for women in eligible age group in region) → identify due for invitation (last screen date + interval) → generate invitation letters (GOV.UK Notify — first class post or digital if NHS App registered).
• Opt-out management: women who have opted out of cervical screening (Cervical Screening Register — opt-out flag) excluded from invitation run.

Change of address

PDS address change triggers correspondence address update before next invitation.

NHS CSAS Integration

CSAS (Cervical Screening Administration System — NHS Digital managed national system): receives screening results from laboratories (cytology and HPV results), manages recall intervals based on result (HPV positive → 12-month recall, inadequate → 3-month recall, normal → standard interval).

ClickMasters integration

CSAS API (NHS Digital — HL7 v2 or FHIR R4 result messages) → regional system → call-recall interval update.

Failsafe

• if CSAS message not received within 90 days of sample collection → alert to screening coordinator (possible laboratory failure to report).
• DCB0129 Screening Safety-

Critical clinical safety hazard

woman recalled at longer interval than NHSCSP standard (e.g., called at 5-year interval instead of 3-year interval for a 35-year-old).

Consequence

delayed detection of cervical cancer.

Mitigation

• 1age-based interval calculation validated against NHSCSP standards table (unit tested with 50 test cases covering all age bands and result types),
• 2independent calculation verification (interval calculated by two independent code paths, compared before invitation generated),
• 3annual clinical audit (random 100 records reviewed by NHSCSP clinical lead).

DCB0129

screening interval error is the highest-priority hazard in the hazard log.

NHS App integration

women registered on NHS App receive digital cervical screening invitation (push notification + in-app message) rather than postal letter.

Appointment booking

NHS App booking link → self-booking at local GP/clinic (NHS eRS appointment request).

Reminder

• 4-week post-invitation reminder if no appointment booked (GOV.UK Notify — SMS + email if NHS App registered).
• Post-screening follow-up: result notification via NHS App or letter (result within 14 days — NHSCSP standard).
• WCAG 2.1

AA

digital invitation pathway fully accessible — screen reader tested with NVDA.