GP won’t give me a smear

[Kanfuzed123]

So posting for traffic really but I’m starting to get angry and a bit worried. I can’t get a smear at the GP, they won’t give me an appointment. I’m calling every morning at 8 but by the time I get through all appointments are gone.

I will complain but I’ve not had one since 2018 due to pregnancy and I’ve been trying to book one for 4 months and I just can’t. No other GP in the area will take us on as ‘we’re out of the catchment area’. What else can I do to make sure I get the screening?

I couldn't get through to my GP so I booked mine on my surgery's app. Got in the next day

This is definitely a lack of training. Another vote here for speaking to Practice Manager.

Send an email asking for their complaints procedure and that you will be contacting PALS. You'll probably find an appointment will become available.

Have you tried booking one via the nhs app, my surgery lets us book this way but it's very hard by phone

Oh OP how bloody annoying. I got a letter about my smear, tried to book in, and they said 'we don't do those at the moment'. So I went on twitter and found the trust and complaint, suddenly they could fit me in! Is that an option?

Call for a routine appointment in the afternoon or sign up for online appointments/NHS app and book it online. My GP practice is rubbish for emergency appointments but they do have one or two routine appointments available within a few weeks. And you don't need to see the GP, you need to see the practice nurse.

Why not look into thermal imaging scan whilst you wait?
You can get smears done at sti clinics.

I don't get why you have to call every day...surely you can book an appointment in advance?

Go privately and pay for it yourself.

Please ignore advice to go private unless you have the funds to have treatment or surgery privately also.

I had a private smear which came back abnormal. I then had to have another NHS smear anyway to get me on the NHS treatment pathway. Which delayed my cancer treatment for several weeks.

My NHS smear came back normal. I had private insurance, so I went for one privately anyway. IT came back abnormal and I had surgery afterwards. Ive never trusted the NHS ones afterwards.

To answer a few questions, ive been told there is no practice manager at the GP (this is actually from before when they wouldn’t see my newborn son when he had chest recessions or my daughter who has diarrhoea for 5 weeks. I’ve written to Pals and the ccg on this and heard nothing, so it’s a bit of a long winded process but I’ll do that here again.

I’m definitely explaining correctly to the receptionist, ive said ive had 2 screening letters from nhs England saying on overdue ive not been able to have them due to pregnancy. I’ve explained it’s a screening test and you don’t get it because you’re symptomatic. I’ve been told there are no appointments and the only way is to call at 8 am and get a same day appointment with the practice nurse. If I go in person it has to be at 9 as that’s when they open their doors, and when I’ve got through on the phone at 9 all appointments are gone.

anyone who has had a private one, how much was it?

how do you do smears at home never heard of that

Several people have suggested the DIY HPV swab from superdrug, why not do that?

The NHS ones now only test whether you have HPV. If you have HPV then they test the sample for cervical cancer.

So basically they are testing whether DH has had sex with someone else, as I certainly haven't.

This new method does slightly concern me though, as I've never had HPV but I have had pre-cancerous cells, and a colposcopy before.

Agree with the Superdrug hpv home test as other PP have said. Quick, easy, no stress. I order from Superdrug online, it’s really simple.

I’d literally never heard of this before, Is it easy enough to do yourself? When I’ve had them before a speculum was involved, guessing that’s not the case with the home test haha!

my hesitancy here is user error, like a false sense of security just in case I’ve not done it correctly but it’s definitely an option

Hiya @Kanfuzed123 it’s really easy and no, no speculum 😂. I’d never go back, so much simpler, no stress, no scheduling (or surprise period) issues. It’s really miles better- I reckon this is how it’ll be done in the future.

I’ve explained it’s a screening test and you don’t get it because you’re symptomatic. I’ve been told there are no appointments and the only way is to call at 8 am and get a same day appointment with the practice nurse

Who has told you this? The receptionist again? You say there's no practice manager which suggests they are generally badly understaffed so I think your next option is to ask for a telephone appointment with the GP.

What happens for kids' vaccines? Do they have to call every day as well? And if they can operate a clinic for those, why not smear tests?

Get a telephone appointment with the GP and then tell them the situation and ask them what the solution is (and no, calling at 8am every morning is NOT the solution - if they say that, tell them to try again).

One other option, if they have it, might be to do an e-consult. That is usually a good way of getting a GP's attention and bypassing the receptionist. Both my DH and mother got what they needed that way (in my DH's case a phone appointment and referral, and my mum got a face to face). If you do it that way you might find the nurse calls you to make an appointment.

In my area you can't get smear tests at a sexual health clinic.
Fortunately at my surgery I have been able to book for mine.

Getting DC vaccines has been unnecessarily complicated though.

My cousin's surgery sounds like yours OP and actually refuse to make appointments if you go in person, they tell people to their face that they need to ring the surgery.
Some surgeries are taking the absolute piss.

Is this one of the many practices taken over by an American company? The press reports that the service is appalling.

I believe the smear test and the HPV test you can get at Superdrug etc are not the same. I’m not a medical professional, but the HPV test you can buy is simply testing to see if you have HPV which can lead to cervical cancer.

phescreening.blog.gov.uk/2017/06/14/what-gps-need-to-know-about-the-introduction-of-primary-hpv-testing-in-cervical-screening/

Please complain to your local MP