New national information resource published

Attending cervical screening is a personal choice but, for some people, that choice may be harder because of the anxiety it provokes. This may be because of:

• mental health issues
• previous traumatic experiences
• sexual abuse

Recognising this, a new national information resource has been published to support eligible people who feel anxious about cervical screening:

Gov.uk – Cervical screening: support for people who find it hard to attend.

People who feel anxious about attending NHS cervical screening appointments can use the information and accompanying checklist to help decide whether to attend and to plan for their appointment.

The information is available in digital format and as a downloadable A4 PDF www.gov.uk/topic/population-screening-programmes/cervical to print out for people who cannot access the internet.

The content is based on the information in the standard national leaflet www.gov.uk – Cervical screening: leaflet for women considering screening, but includes additional guidance on:

• booking the screening test, including pre-visits, early morning appointments and longer appointments
• planning your journey to the appointment
• questions to ask the health professional taking the sample
• other support services.

The accompanying checklist can be printed out, taken to a screening appointment and passed to the sample taker to explain what extra support may be required.