A new cervical screening management system (CSMS) will go live at 7am on 24 June, according to NHS England.
In a letter to all ICBs, NHS England said the system was in the final stages of testing and was expected to go live on Monday.
It will replace the current 35-year-old call/recall IT system which sits on the national health application and infrastructure services (NHAIS) platform.
Once the new system goes live, the former system will no longer be accessible for cervical screening programme services. All data will be transferred the weekend before (22-23 June), but there should be no disruption to the programme during this period, it added.
NHS England said it would confirm via email and website updates when the system goes live, including where to go for technical support.
Deborah Tomalin, director of screening at NHS England, said to ensure a ‘seamless transition’, organisations providing cervical screening services, including GP practices, sexual health services, laboratory and colposcopy staff, must check they can access CSMS and complete training on how to use it.
‘After CSMS has gone live, providers should update any internal operating procedures and documentation they have that supports delivery of cervical screening services, to reflect access to and how they use CSMS,’ she added.
She called on ICBs to ‘seek assurance’ that these actions have been taken or will be taken prior to the system going live.
