All women between the ages of 25 and 64 who have ever been sexually active should have a smear done. These are usually carried out every 3 years or more frequently if previous smears suggested this would be more appropriate.
Cervical smears assess the general health of the cervix and can pick up cervical abnormalities which may otherwise progress into cervical cancer.
The best time to have your smear done is around 2 weeks into your menstrual cycle i.e. approximately midway between the date of your last period and the date of your next expected period.
Cervical smears are undertaken by our practice nurses and the procedure takes about 20 minutes. St George's Hospital will notify you of your smear result about 4 weeks after the test was carried out.
To increase the uptake of cytology screening, the practice is offering out of hours clinics on the following days:
These appointments are only for smear tests.
Wednesdays: 8:00am - 9:00am
Fridays: 8:00am - 9.00am (fortnightly)
Saturdays: 8.00am - 11.00am (once a month)