Nurse-led Cervical Screening

Now available at Plaza Family Health for only $30 out of pocket - full details below!

With the ongoing shortage of GP appointments in Cairns, we are excited to announce our new nurse-led cervical screening clinic.

Both our Registered Nurses have undergone specialised training and have a collective 15 years experience in cervical screening, sexual and reproductive health.

One of the many benefits of using our service is that you do not need to see a GP, saving time and allowing you more flexibility with appointment times.

Cervical screening test appointments are available to all female patients (existing and new) for a set fee of $30 out of pocket (as you do not need to see a GP, there will be no Medicare rebate).

A Nurse and GP will review your results and contact you via phone or post (typically 1-3 weeks following your appointment and depending on laboratory processing times).

The Cervical Screening Test (CST) replaced pap smears in December 2017. Cervical Screening is just as safe and is more effective than having a pap test every two years.

The National Cervical Screening Program currently recommends that all women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 to 74 years, who have ever been sexually active, attend a clinic for a cervical screening test every five years (or more often depending on your results).

You should still have a CST even if you have had the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)/ cervical cancer vaccine in the past.

If you are due for your five-yearly (low-risk) screening test, you are eligible for a self-collect sample. However, clinician-collected samples remain the preferred method (by laboratories and clinicians) as they are suitable for further testing as needed. Our nurses are happy to discuss eligibility and facilitate self-collection if this is your preferred choice.

If you are not sure when you are due or what your last test result was, please call and ask to speak to one of our nurses.

To book an appointment, simply call the practice or book online via our website using the HotDoc booking form.