Due to the migration of cervical screening records to the National Register, some healthcare providers may experience an increase in patient enquiries and requests for cervical screening tests throughout January and February.
The National Cancer Screening Register has been supporting the renewed National Cervical Screening Program since the commencement of the new HPV-based Cervical Screening Test on 1 December 2017.
From July 2018, following the migration of records of state and territory cervical screening Registers to the national Register, the national Register became responsible for all Program correspondence.
Since that time, the Register has been sending correspondence in priority order for women who had not undertaken the expected follow-up of an abnormal result.
During November and in early December 2018, the national Register commenced sending reminders to women who are overdue for their next routine Cervical Screening Test. This correspondence is being sent using a staged approach, prioritising letters to women who are most overdue.
From January 2019, the volume of these letters will increase until early-February 2019 to address a backlog, after which time normal mail distribution volumes will resume.
Impact on healthcare providers
Some healthcare providers may experience an increase in patient enquiries and requests for cervical screening tests during this period. Women should be reassured by their cervical screening test providers that while it is recommended that asymptomatic women aged 25-74 years undergoing routine screening have their first HPV-based screening test two years after their last Pap test, the risk from delaying their test for a few months is extremely low.
Contact the Register
If you are unsure of your patient’s cervical screening history or status, or have any questions relating to participant and healthcare provider correspondence, please call the National Cancer Screening Register Contact Centre team on 1800 627 701 (between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, in all Australian state and territory time zones) or visit the National Cancer Screening Register website.