National Cervical Screening Programme
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The National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) is delivered by a large number of providers across the screening pathway, from health promotion to cervical screening and treatment services.
For consumer information
If you're looking for information about cervical screening, visit www.timetoscreen.nz or phone 0800 729 729.
Across the country there are approximately 7300 smear takers, mostly general practitioners and nurses and seven laboratories providing cytology, HPV and histology testing services to the programme.
The 20 district health boards (DHBs) are contracted by the NSU to provide colposcopy services. Women can also go to private colposcopy services.
Fifteen DHBs provide NCSP regional services which involves regional coordination of NCSP services, health promotion, and liaising with key organisations and people relevant to cervical screening. Thirteen of the 20 DHBs have been contracted to provide NCSP-Register services.
The National Screening Unit (NSU) also contracts 11 independent service providers to provide screening support services for women who are less likely to been screened.
Since the NCSP began in 1990 the incidence of cervical cancer has decreased by about 50 percent. Cervical cancer incidence in 2016 was 6.4 per 100,000 women (age standardised to the WHO population, all ages).
There has also been a steady decline in cervical cancer mortality since the NCSP began of about 60 percent. In 2016 cervical cancer mortality was 1.6 per 100,000 women (age standardised to the WHO population, all ages).
In this section
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The National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) will be changing the recommended starting age for cervical screening from 20 to 25 years in 2019.
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The National Cervical Screening Programme is planning to change the first step in the screening pathway from liquid-based cytology screening to human papillomavirus primary screening.
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Contact the National Cervical Screening Programme in your area to request an updated screening history for your patients or for any information on cervical screening.
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This section contains Role-specific information
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The National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) Register is the national database for information relating to cervical screening events.
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The document updates the current Guidelines for Cervical Screening in New Zealand. It provides clinical information and pathways for the management of women with an abnormal cervical screening result, and is used by health providers and colposcopy and laboratory services.
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A number of changes aimed at improving the quality, safety and effectiveness of the Programme took effect from 7 March 2005.
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Access Publications and reports relating to the National Cervical Screening Programme.
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Ongoing, systematic monitoring against performance indicators is one of a range of monitoring systems the National Screening Unit (NSU) uses to ensure its programmes are working well. View the Independent monitoring reports in this section.
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Coverage is an important performance indicator for all those involved in the NCSP at both regional and national levels. Coverage is defined as the proportion of women eligible for screening who have been screened in the previous three years.
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The NCSP Policies and Standards document the agreed policies, standards and guidelines for providers of National Cervical Screening Programme services.
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The National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) Advisory Group is an external advisory group established to support the National Screening Unit achieve equity in health/whānau ora for all people through high quality and accessible screening.
Page last updated: 20 February 2020
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