Supporting the evolution of cervical screening across the UK for DHSC, NHS England & the University of Aberdeen

Claremont has been involved in projects relating to HPV self-sampling – an alternative to clinician-led cervical screening – for several years. In 2025 we worked with Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and the University of Aberdeen on three separate projects in this field.  

Our work in this area began in 2019, when Claremont was asked to name and create the visual identity for YouScreen, a UK-first trial of HPV self-sampling in London, and to develop a communications strategy to support recruitment of 31,000 women to the trial.  

The trial proved a huge success: it found that offering self-sampling could lead to more than one million additional screenings in three years, if rolled out across England.  

The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) will soon run an NHS in-service evaluation, where people eligible for cervical screening are offered a choice between having their sample taken by a clinician or self-sampling.  

In 2024-25, Claremont was appointed by the UK National Screening Committee, hosted by DHSC, to conduct behavioural research exploring the information needs and preferences of people making this choice. The research, delivered in partnership with the National Centre for Social Research, will inform the development of communications materials for the in-service evaluation.  

Our mixed-methods approach included focus groups, interviews and a four-session deliberative workshop involving 26 people, with a highly diverse sample. The research identified trust in self-sampling as closely linked to perceptions of test accuracy, and participants valued step-by-step instructions, visual aids, and plain-language explanations for both methods. Professional endorsement and successful international screening case studies also increase perceived credibility.  

Participants valued autonomy and personal agency and wanted the two options to be neutrally presented emphasising equal validity, alongside transparent discussion of pros and cons. Concerns about user error, result interpretation, and follow-up procedures highlighted the importance of practical guidance and reassurance throughout.  

Our recommendations included using side-by-side comparison tables and ensuring communications are inclusive and clear about current uncertainties relating to self-sampling. Our study emphasised the need for credibility, clarity and choice to reassure and inform patients in the important decisions they make for themselves.   

Separately, several local pilots have been exploring the practical implication of offering HPV self-sampling. Claremont was asked by NHS England in summer 2025 to refresh materials (an animated explainer film and leaflet) in preparation for its rollout of a service across London – using the evolved name SelfScreen – to offer HPV-self sampling to women who had not responded to invitations to book a clinician-led cervical screening appointment.   

Finally, the University of Aberdeen recently commissioned Claremont to develop similar materials to recruit women in Scotland to the AYEScreen study, which will develop a local evidence base to inform decisions around how HPV self-sampling might be offered in Scotland.