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Metro Auckland Cervical Screening Coordination Service | Auckland | Te Toka Tumai

Public Service, Gynaecology, Community Health, Oncology

Today

For Auckland & Waitemata DHBs

Description

Getting Screened - information for women

It's completely up to you who takes your cervical screen.

You can request a female screen taker from most services. Whoever you choose, all screen takers are specially trained to make sure the test is comfortable and meets your rights as a patient. 

You can choose to go to your regular doctor or you can choose to go to:

The National Screening Unit (NSU) can also help you find someone to take your cervical screen. Call the NSU on freephone 0800 729 729.

Cervical Screening Coordinators

Cervical Screening Coordinators provide support and information for:

  • consumers
  • cervical screening workforce
  • Primary Health Organisations
  • General Practices
  • independent service providers (Counties Manukau Health and Well Women and Family Trust)
  • other cervical screening stakeholders (e.g. colposcopy services and laboratory services)
  • National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP).

Cervical Screening Coordinators:

  • coordinate cervical screening services in metro Auckland
  • provide free cervical screening updates
  • support the cervical screening workforce
  • provide advice and answers to questions about cervical screening
  • support Primary Health Organisations and General Practices with data provided by the National Screening Unit
  • support primary care with quality improvement activities
  • support access to and completion of cervical screening training
  • coordinate regular meetings with the Metro Auckland Cervical Screening Operations Group (MACSOP). 

Auckland Regional Cervical Screening Register

The Auckland Regional Cervical Screening Register can be reached at 0800 729 729 or (09) 630 9943 ext 27827 or by emailing   

Regional Register Services can help with:

  • updating your details
  • cervical screening queries
  • information on alternative cervical screening options in the area
  • a request for your cervical screening history.

Contact your health provider if you have any queries about your test results.

 For health services, Regional Register Services can help with:

  • updating participant details
  • providing cervical screening histories
  • providing Quality of Smears reports
  • setting up new health professionals or health facilities on the NCSP Register
  • providing assistance with NCSP Register data
  • providing training and ongoing support to NCSP Register users.

Cervical Screening Training Providers

The following organisations provide cervical screening training:

Cervical Screening Updates

A 2023 Screentakers Cervical Screening Update is available at the Goodfellow Unit at The University of Auckland. Click here for access to this no cost CME/CPD webinar.

Both Family Planning and Well Women and Family provide online cervical screening updates however there is a cost involved.

Resources

National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) information: Time to Screen Website

NCSP Health Professionals:  NCSP Website

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) information: https://www.hpv.org.nz/

Hours

For Auckland & Waitemata DHBs

Mon – Fri 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Procedures / Treatments / Services

Cervical Screening

Cervical Screening is a test to check for changes to the cells of the cervix (entrance to the uterus). A nurse or doctor will put an instrument called a speculum into the vagina to open it, and then gently wipe or brush a few cells from the cervix to send to the laboratory for testing. A cervical screening test can show if cervical cells are going through any changes that happen before cancer grows. If a smear test shows changes to cells of the cervix a referral is made to a specialist service called Colposcopy. Regular smears make it possible to prevent cancer before it grows, or to pick up the cancer early so that it is more easily cured. The National Cervical Screening Programme aims to provide all New Zealand women with regular smears and recommends that a smear be done every three years between the ages of 25 and 69 years. (Source NCSP) NCSP - Hysterectomy Guidelines (PDF, 553.1 KB) One page advice from NCSP on who need to have cervical screening after hysterectomy Women who have a high grade history (PDF, 278.3 KB) One page advice on who needs to have an HPV test

Cervical Screening is a test to check for changes to the cells of the cervix (entrance to the uterus). A nurse or doctor will put an instrument called a speculum into the vagina to open it, and then gently wipe or brush a few cells from the cervix to send to the laboratory for testing. A cervical screening test can show if cervical cells are going through any changes that happen before cancer grows. If a smear test shows changes to cells of the cervix a referral is made to a specialist service called Colposcopy.
 
Regular smears make it possible to prevent cancer before it grows, or to pick up the cancer early so that it is more easily cured. The National Cervical Screening Programme aims to provide all New Zealand women with regular smears and recommends that a smear be done every three years between the ages of 25 and 69 years.
(Source NCSP)
Colposcopy

A colposcopy is a detailed examination of the cervix (entrance to the uterus) with a specially lit microscope (colposcope). As with a smear test, an instrument called a speculum is inserted into the vagina, and then the colposcope is positioned outside the vagina with its light directed on the cervix. A specialist will perform a colposcopy if your smear test has shown abnormal or cancerous cells on the cervix. During the colposcopy further samples of tissue (biopsies) are usually taken and examined in the laboratory so the doctor can get a clearer idea of the extent of the abnormal cells.

A colposcopy is a detailed examination of the cervix (entrance to the uterus) with a specially lit microscope (colposcope). As with a smear test, an instrument called a speculum is inserted into the vagina, and then the colposcope is positioned outside the vagina with its light directed on the cervix.
 
A specialist will perform a colposcopy if your smear test has shown abnormal or cancerous cells on the cervix. During the colposcopy further samples of tissue (biopsies) are usually taken and examined in the laboratory so the doctor can get a clearer idea of the extent of the abnormal cells.

Services Provided

Health screening

Health screening tests check for health conditions or early warning signs of disease.

  • Cervical screening

Health screening tests check for health conditions or early warning signs of disease.

Contact Details

This page was last updated at 2:39PM on March 18, 2024. This information is reviewed and edited by Metro Auckland Cervical Screening Coordination Service | Auckland | Te Toka Tumai.