NCSP Register: what to do if a woman declines cervical screening

It appears the rationale for doing this is so that these women will not count towards PHO cervical screening coverage statistics.

Removing women from the register does not affect coverage. The women still count as the unscreened proportion of the population, whether it be PHO or DHB coverage being measured.

The impact of withdrawal is that a woman’s screening history is removed and therefore not available for future reference if symptoms develop that require follow-up.

The NCSP does not recommend that women withdraw from the NCSP Register to stop being screened or recalled.

If a woman in your care declines further screening, please notify the NCSP Register so her status can be updated. She will receive a ‘no more smears’ letter so she understands the implications and is aware she will no longer be recalled, and her screening history remains intact on the Register.