Have you had a letter about attending your cervical screening appointment, but can’t get to your GP practice during the week?
Patients registered with one of our member practices can book an appointment at our cervical screening clinics, which are held on the first Saturday of every month at Southend Medical Centre.
How to book
Call your GP practice during their normal opening hours to book an appointment, just ask about the Saturday cervical screening clinic.
This clinic is open from 9am to 5pm, and is part of the PCN’s out-of-hours service. An experienced Practice Nurse will carry out the test – when booking your appointment, please let them know if you’d like someone else to be in the room with you (a chaperone) – this could be someone you know, another nurse or a trained member of staff.
Cervical screening, which used to be called a smear test, is a test to check the health of the cervix and help prevent cervical cancer. It’s offered to women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64.
When to book cervical screening
Try to book your appointment as soon as you get invited. If you missed your last cervical screening, you do not need to wait for a letter.
It’s best to book an appointment for a time when:
- you’re not having a period – also try to avoid the 2 days before or after you bleed (if you do not have periods, you can book any time)
- you’ve finished treatment if you have unusual vaginal discharge or a pelvic infection
