Workforce expansion
Since November 2023, nurses who are not cervical screen takers can complete training and enter a professional partnership with a cervical screen taker to offer HPV screening.
https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-the-health-sector/ncsp-hpv-screening/understand-hpv-primary-screening/#hpv-screen-taker-learning-pathway
There is no wider workforce expansion in effect yet i.e. for kaimahi and other non-clinical workforce.
Clinical Practice tips
Participant choice
Whether participants choose to self-test or opt for a cervical sample (smear) they must be offered the choice. All screening options must be provided as part of the informed consent process.
Let participants know to expect an enrolment letter
Once a participant has had their first screen and they have agreed to be enrolled in the NCSP, their test is sent to the Register and an enrolment letter is sent. It is important to let participants know to expect an enrolment letter from the NCSP confirming their participation in the programme. This helps ensure they are aware of their involvement in the screening process and that their results are recorded on the NCSP Register.
Conversations about HPV
Because the HPV screen self-test is a new test, many people won’t know about HPV. This can cause anxiety in people, particularly if HPV is detected and the person is referred to colposcopy. As screen takers, it’s important to familiarise yourselves with what HPV means ahead of conversations in the screening consults. If HPV is detected, framing those conversations with empathy and sensitivity in your consult and follow-up, can also help alleviate anxiety.
To help your kōrero with participants about HPV, review MODULE 4 | Talking about Cervical Screening and HPV. This 60-minute module covers what you need to know to talk to your patients about HPV primary screening. It covers barriers to screening, how to have culturally safe and effective conversations about cervical screening, and how to share test results with your patients.
Ovestin option before screening or colposcopy
Post-menopausal participants and participants with atrophy associated with progesterone contraception or testosterone therapy may benefit from Ovestin cream prior to screening or colposcopy. This is to improve the accuracy of cytology and colposcopy and make it more comfortable for the participant. Check your local health pathway for details.
Finding under-screened and unscreened participants
Under-screened and unscreened patients make up 85% of cervical cancer cases. You can find a list of your under-screened and unscreened patients by using the PHO Cervical Screening Status Report, which is sent to PHOs monthly. This list can be filtered by due date and ethnicity, so that you can quickly find priority patients. We will have a guidance list out to all PHOs soon with more scenarios in how to best filter your report.
If you can’t access this list, please contact your PHO or NCSP regional coordinator. You can contact your regional coordinator by calling 0800 729 729.
Recalls and Reminders
It’s important to continue to send recalls and reminders to your patients at a local level.
