Guidance

Cervical screening: guidelines on the content of letters and leaflets

NHSCSP Publication No 27: improving the quality of the written information sent to women about cervical screening.

• From: NHS England
• Published: 1 December 2006
• Last updated: 27 September 2024 — See all updates

Documents

Improving the quality of the written information sent to women about cervical screening: guidelines on the content of letters and leaflets

Ref: ISBN 978 1 84463 035 6, NHSCSP Publication No 27

PDF, 311 KB, 36 pages

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Details

Women should be informed that having cervical screening at the recommended interval provides a low risk status rather than a no risk status of developing cervical cancer.

A copy of the NHSCSP leaflet ‘Cervical Screening – The Facts’ must be sent with all screening invitation letters.

All women who have a cervical screening test should receive their test results in writing. It is the responsibility of the GP or other clinician requesting the cytology screening test to ensure that there is a system in place (this may be the routine call and recall system administered by primary care organisations).

All women who have a cervical screening test should be told when they should expect to receive their test results. More than 80% of women who have a cervical screening test should receive their test result within 4 weeks of the date of the screening test, and 100% of women should receive their test result within 6 weeks of the date of the screening test.

A copy of the NHSCSP leaflet ‘What Your Abnormal Result Means’ should be sent with all abnormal result letters.

It is not appropriate to use a standard result letter to notify a women of a test result that has a recommendation of urgent referral for colposcopy. A woman with a test result of severe dyskaryosis, invasive or glandular neoplasia should be given her result on a personal basis in a manner that is appropriate for her individual circumstances.

All women referred for colposcopy should receive a personalised letter of invitation and an information leaflet before their first colposcopy visit.

A copy of the NHSCSP leaflet ‘The Colposcopy Examination’ should be sent with all colposcopy invitation letters.

This publication was previously published by Public Health England, which closed on 30 September 2021.

Published 1 December 2006
Last updated 27 September 2024 + show all updates

1. 27 September 2024

   In the details, changed 'originally published by Public Health England' to 'previously published by Public Health England'.

2. 26 September 2024

   Added clarification that publication was originally published by Public Health England.

3. 1 December 2006

   First published.