Smears (cervical cytology) and contraceptive devices

Smears are done in practice nurse clinics . Smears are advised for all women aged 25 to 50 every three years and then 5 yearly until 64. Women in this age group are notified by letter that they are due for a smear. Patients should ring Keyworth Health Centre and book an appointment as soon as they get a letter. The smear result is notified by post also. The result is either normal, abnormal or technically inadequate. If normal you will be told when the next one is due. If the result is technically unsuitable you will have to return for another. If the result is abnormal then another smear is requires after an interval of 3 to 12 months. An abnormal smear does not mean cancer. It means there are slight changes in the cells which might become cancerous. If repeated tests show the same abnormal changes these cells are removed by laser before they can become a problem. This is why the screening programme is so important and why it works so well to prevent deaths from cervical cancer.

Female nurses do the smear test. They will also give advice on contraception. Intra-uterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs), diaphragms (sometimes called caps) and pills etc . 

More information about the NHS Cancer Screening Programme is available at www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk 

For contraceptive advice and prescriptions generally, all the doctors and practice nurses are able to do this. If you need just a routine check and pill prescription the best way is simply to book an appointment with a nurse. We normally issue a prescription for a 6 month supply at a time, or sometimes 12 months if several 6 monthly checks have been normal and there are no adverse risk factors such as smoking (smoking greatly increases the very small risks associated with the combined oral contraceptives).

Advice on breast self-examination is also available.

We can accept email requests from registered patients for smear clinic appointments. Please give your name and address and requests for specific days or times. We will usually reply the next working day with an appointment. The appointment offered needs to be confirmed by you within 3 working days by email. It is then a firm booking. Please note that we do not use secure email connections and therefore privacy and confidentiality are restricted by the limitations of an insecure system. Email information within our business premises is dealt with in the same way as any other confidential information. It is best not to email us with any clinical information, and we would never ask you to.