A Worksop GP is urging women to not ignore their cervical screening invite as it could save their life

Women aged 25 to 49 are invited to attend cervical screening, or a smear test, at their GP practice every three years, and women aged 50 to 64 are invited to attend every five years.

The symptoms of cervical cancer aren't always obvious, and it may not cause any symptoms at all until it has reached an advanced stage.

This is why it's very important for women to attend all of their cervical screening appointments.

The screening test only takes a few minutes and can help stop cervical cancer before it starts, as the test identifies potentially harmful cells before they become cancerous, and ensures women get the right treatment as soon as possible.

The tests are usually done at a GP surgery by female nurses who are trained to make women feel more comfortable and will talk them through the process.

There has been a decline in women attending their screening appointments with attendance at its lowest in 21 years.

The national average is 71.7 per cent and in Bassetlaw that figure is slightly higher at 75.7 per cent.

Dr Eric Kelly, GP and chairman of NHS Bassetlaw Clinical Commissioning Group, said: ”Two women die every day in England from cervical cancer, yet it is one of the most preventable cancers if caught early.

“As well as knowing the signs and symptoms to look out for, cervical screening really can save your life, and we would urge women to attend screening when invited as it can detect changes that could develop into cancer.

“If you have missed previous appointments please call your GP practice to rearrange.”

Sally Abbott, lead nurse for colposcopy, said: “Early detection is key to increasing survival rates so educating everyone about the disease, its symptoms and ways to prevent it is so important.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is to go along to your GP practice when invited for cervical screening.

“We all lead busy lives but it’s important to put our health first.”