Cervical screening: professional guidance
Standards and guidance for healthcare professionals, managers and commissioners working in the NHS cervical screening programme.
Programme pathway
Liquid based cytology (LBC)
Programme management
- Cervical screening: role of the cervical screening provider lead
- Cervical screening: programme and colposcopy management
- Cervical screening: call and recall administration best practice
- Cervical screening: removing women from routine invitations
- Cervical screening: cytopathology standards and evaluation criteria
- Cervical screening: cytology reporting failsafe (primary HPV)
- Cervical screening: primary HPV screening implementation
- Cervical screening: programme specific operating model
Audit
The document collection on cervical screening programme data contains the NHS Cervical Screening Programme invasive cervical cancer audits.
Laboratory standards and quality assurance
- Cervical screening: acceptable HPV test systems
- Cervical screening: laboratory testing for human papillomavirus
- Cervical screening: cytology samples external quality assessment
- Cervical screening: gynaecological cytopathology EQA scheme
- Cervical screening: histopathology reporting handbook
- Cervical screening: cytology improvement guide
- Cervical screening: accepting samples in laboratories
- Cervical screening: pathway for acceptance of new HPV tests
- Cervical screening: laboratory HPV testing and cytology services
Colposcopy equipment reports
Primary care
Cervix chart for sample takers
A chart available on a one per room basis, for nurses and GPs taking cervical screening samples. Order here (electronic copy not available).
- Cervical screening: cervical sample taker training
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding in women under 25: clinical assessment
- Cervical screening: supporting women with learning disabilities
- Cervical screening: support for people who find it hard to attend
- Cervical screening: ideas for improving access and uptake
Primary human papillomavirus (HPV) screening
Primary HPV screening is currently being implemented across the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.
Professionals involved in delivering primary HPV screening should use these guidance documents.
Last updated 4 January 2023 + show all updates
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Correct error in first paragraph, Section 4.6 [even if colposcopy was normal]
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Addition to collection of Cervical screening: ideas for improving access and uptake
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Added 'Cervical screening: care pathway' and 'Cervical screening pathway requirements specification'.
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Added link to 'Cervical screening: support for people who find it hard to attend'.
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Addition of 'cervical screening: disclosure of audit toolkit' to the audit section.
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Added link to cervical screening programme data document collection, containing the NHS Cervical Screening Programme invasive cervical cancer audits.
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Added Cervical screening: laboratory HPV testing and cytology services document.
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Added 'Cervical screening: pathway for acceptance of new HPV tests'.
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Added new guidance on primary HPV screening implementation.
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Added new guidance: the role of the cervical screening provider lead.
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Added supporting women with learning disabilities guidance to primary care section.
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Added programme specific operating model.
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Added Cervical screening: cervical sample taker training.
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Added National external quality assessment (EQA) scheme for the preparation and staining of cervical liquid based cytology samples: scheme protocol.
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Added Cervical screening: training to use a new cytology system.
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Added Cervical screening: gynaecological cytopathology external quality assessment to the collection.
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First published.