Cervical Screening Programme

At your surgery, we are providing an enhanced support service for our patients from relevant screening services, to keep our patients safe.

The test that you would appear to benefit from is a cervical smear. This is a routine test that is undertaken by all women and people with a cervix, aged between 25 to 64-years-old, as part of a national screening programme.

What does this involve?

A smear test checks the health of your cervix, which is the opening to your womb from your vagina.

During the appointment with a doctor or nurse, a small sample of cells will be taken from your cervix using a speculum and a soft brush (please see the video below). This sample is checked for the "high risk" types of human papillomavirus (HPV), that can cause changes to your cervix. If any of these are found, the sample is then checked for any abnormal changes in the cells of your cervix. If left untreated, these abnormal changes could develop into cervical cancer.

This screening allows for closer monitoring of any changing cells, early detection of cancerous changes in your cervix, and allows for early treatment.

It's important to note that the HPV vaccine does not protect you from all types of HPV and so it is still recommended to have a smear test.

Please avoid using any vaginal medicines, lubricants, or creams in the 2 days before you have your test as they can affect the results.

Please spend 1 minute watching the short video below on what this simple process involves: