SCOTTISH Labour have accused the SNP of “failing Scotland’s most vulnerable women,” after it emerged just one health board has piloted a game-changing cancer test recommended four years ago.

The Scottish government’s Women’s Health Plan, published in 2021, committed to improving access to home “self-sampling” cervical screen tests, amid concerns that inability to secure an appointment or embarrassment was acting as a barrier to the screening programme.

In 2020-21, around one in three women did not undergo regular cervical screening, but the barriers were not equally felt, with 73.1 per cent of women in Scotland’s wealthiest areas regularly undergoing the potentially life-saving test, compared to 62.4 in the most deprived.

As NHS England announced the rollout of self-sampling, data revealed to Scottish Labour under freedom of information shows that four years on from the measure being endorsed in Scotland, just one health board — Dumfries and Galloway — has piloted the use of the kits.

Scottish Labour’s women’s health spokesperson Carol Mochan said: “The SNP promised to improve access to cervical screening, yet this failure to actually deliver on a life-saving pledge will leave many of the most vulnerable women at risk. 

“This failure falls against a backdrop of broken promise after broken promise on women’s health, and it is those living in our most deprived communities who are suffering the most from this failure.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “The screening programme is working to offer the first self-sampling kits in Scotland by spring 2026, and will focus particularly on reducing inequalities. 

“The initial rollout will therefore focus on some of the most deprived areas with some of the highest numbers of underscreened women.”