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Cervical Screening in General Practice

Project Officer
Christopher Daniel - phone 8752 4918

Cancer of the cervix is one of the most preventable of all cancers. Pap tests pick up early warning signs that can be treated before cancer develops. Any woman between the ages of 18-70 years who has ever had sexual intercourse needs to have a Pap test every two years. Between 1972 -2003 the incidence rate of cervical cancer in NSW decreased by 58% and mortality rates decreased by 67%.

Central Sydney GP Network is committed to supporting general practices in increasing the rate of cervical screening in our area. Our Cervical Screening Project, funded by Cancer Institute NSW, aims to

  • promote awareness among women in our community of the importance of having regular Pap tests
  • improve the availability of Pap test services available through general practice (particularly though practice nurses)
  • improve patient access to women’s health clinics and referral services

The NSW Cervical Screening Program is a jointly funded Commonwealth/State and Territory initiative managed by the Cancer Institute NSW. The goal of the NSW Cervical Screening Program is to achieve optimal reductions in the incidence of and mortality/morbidity attributed to cervical cancer at an acceptable cost to the community. For more information on the NSW Cervical Screening Program visit http://www.csp.nsw.gov.au

IMPORTANT NOTE: The introduction of the HPV vaccine on the private pharmaceutical market in September 2006 does not impact on the need for women (20-69 years) to have a Pap test every two years.
For more information about the HPV vaccine, please contact Jo Wild, Immunisation Project Officer, on 8752 4919.

Topical Links
Cervical Screening training courses for GPs and practice nurses :
Family Planning NSW offers training and educational courses for GPs and practice nurses throughout the year.
For more information about their courses, please visit their website here http://www.fpahealth.org.au/education/

MBS Item Numbers for claiming Cervical Screening services : For GPs - For Practice Nurses

Important Weblinks
Cancer Institute NSW www.cancerinstitute.org.au
NSW Cervical Screening Program www.csp.nsw.gov.au
Family Planning NSW www.fpahealth.org.au
NSW Pap Test Register www.cancerinstitute.org.au/cancer_inst/programs/ptr.html
BreastScreen NSW http://www.bsnsw.org.au