🧫 Smear (Cervical Screening)

💷 How much is this worth to me?

This template supports delivery of:

• NHS Cervical Screening Programme

• QOF Indicator CS005 – for recording invitations and non-responders

• Local Enhanced Services (LES) where smear taking attracts an additional payment

It also ensures safe, compliant clinical practice through clear documentation of eligibility, consent, and exclusions.

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📊 High-level overview of the specification requirements

Eligible patients:

• Aged 25–49: Invited every 3 years

• Aged 50–64: Invited every 5 years

Patients under 25 are only screened if:

• Clinically indicated (e.g. persistent abnormal bleeding)

• Within 12 weeks of childbirth or pregnancy loss, as per guidance

The template supports:

• Smear documentation

• Consent confirmation

• Symptom screening

• Coding of decline/refusal

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📌 What do you need to know?

📅 Eligibility and Timing

• Embedded guidance on age and timing of invitations

• Reminder: avoid smear during menstruation or if lubricants/oestrogen creams used in last 48 hrs

💊 Contraceptive Use

• Records method:

  • Combined pill

  • POP

  • Depo

  • IUD

  • Implant

• Useful for risk profiling and correlation with HPV vaccination

💉 HPV Vaccination

• Tick if patient has received HPV vaccine

• Helps with audit and risk stratification

🧬 Parity and Gravidity

• Document parity and gravidity (automatically informs likelihood of cervical cell changes)

⚠️ Symptoms and Preparation

• Record gynaecological symptoms:

  • Bleeding

  • Discharge

  • Irritation

• Confirm absence of interfering factors:

  • Lubricant or oestrogen use within 2 days

  • Rebooking advised if recently used

🗓️ LMP and Consent

• Last menstrual period recorded

• Confirm:

  • Consent for smear

  • Consent for HPV testing

• Tick if screening declined (ensures appropriate exemption coding)

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💡 Hints and Tips

• Use this during routine invites or opportunistic screening

• If the patient declines or defers, use SNOMED-coded decline options to avoid QOF shortfall

• HPV testing consent is critical for programme compliance — tick only when patient understands

• Avoid smears:

  • During menstruation

  • <12 weeks postnatal unless urgent

  • Within 48 hrs of vaginal creams/lubricants

• If patient symptomatic, refer — cervical screening is not diagnostic