Why you should read this article:

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To read about the steps involved in a project that aimed to increase cervical screening uptake among people with learning disabilities

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To recognise barriers to accessing cervical screening among people with learning disabilities

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To increase your awareness of the legal requirement for assessing mental capacity in people with learning disabilities in the context of cervical screening

The uptake of cervical screening is lower among people with learning disabilities than in the general population. Between 2020 and 2022, a pilot project was undertaken in south west Hertfordshire to increase the uptake of cervical screening among people with a cervix who are eligible for screening and registered with their GP as having a learning disability. The project included the development of an ad hoc reporting and decision-making tool and involved a community learning disability nurse working with ten GP practices to take patients through a preparatory process designed to assess their mental capacity and determine their reasonable adjustment needs. The number of patients who had cervical screening within the project time frame was small, but there were other positive outcomes for the patients and practice nurses involved, particularly in relation to clarifying the benefits of cervical screening and the rules about mental capacity and best interests decisions.