to not bother with a smear test

[setpieces]

I'm supposed to have them every 12 months due to abnormal cells.

I cannot get an appointment at my GP practice. They have offered me 3 dates I simply cannot do (I'm supporting a parent having an op the week before Xmas, Xmas eve (still with parent) and 2 Jan (away with kids). It took an hour of following hopeless website and booking referrals plus a phone call (engaged) and callback to get this far.

By the time I get the test (assuming calling back at the end of next week as requested is successful) it will be 2 months after I got the letter then another 6-8 weeks for the results.

I might as well wait for the condition to worsen and refer for treatment in 4 months time.

What would you advise a close friend, sister or daughter in the same situation? Yeah just leave it?

I haven't had one for years, especially since hearing they only check for HPV now, and I've never had an abnormal result. However, in your situation, I probably would still have them.
Practically speaking, I see it that you have two options: Either get a home HPV test or book/pay for a private smear, then you can have it at a time/date of your choosing.

I don't think this is just the OP being awkward. It's partly the service she's being offered. I had a recent smear, and I was offered about 10 different possible appointments over a 2 week period. There may have been more - there was an early morning one thst suited me, so I didn't look further. This is a very different service being offered compared with 3 dates over the next couple of months. It seems different areas of the country have differing troubles with accessing service, and I'm lucky where I am.

I do know from past experience that our nurse appointments aren't shown more than about 6 weeks ahead, so I wouldn't yet be able to book appointments as far ahead as mid-January yet, so that could also be a similar problem for the OP - she may know she'll be back from holiday then, but she can't book an appointment that far ahead, because they haven't decided what appointments will be available.

(I had the follow-up colposcopy for abnormal cells today, so I'm waiting 4-6 weeks for results.)

Wow.
You need a head shake.
Unbelievable

This
YABU

Maybe you want to join us over at the Stage 4 cancer post - it’s a barrel of laughs there and I’m quite sure every one of us would give up all our holidays to make sure we got seen. What an incredibly insensitive post OP

YABU.

It's crazy to delay if you've had abnormal cells. My best friend got CC aged 29, it was caught early so thankfully she 'only' had to have major surgery. She'd never missed a smear but had bleeding and didn't ignore.

My sister is 44 and recovering from late stage 1. Radical hysterectomy, then chemo and radiotherapy. I'm wondering if you've seen anyone close to you go through cancer treatment? It's brutal when you're up close and personal with it. It was 4 years since her last smear, they'd always been normal.

You have kids. Don't fuck around with this. Get your smear.

You can get an appointment with your GP surgery (they’ve offered you three) but you don’t want what they’ve offered so the surgery isn’t really the problem. They are trying to help you, but you need to let them.

FWIW, I probably do about 10 walk-in smears a week (sexual health) even though we’re not actually commissioned to do them. If a woman walks in asking me for a smear because she can’t get in with her practice nurse, I never say no because it’s so important, especially as you already have CIN2. I’d try your luck at a GUM clinic before you just shrug your shoulders.

I haven't read all if the comments, so sorry if I am repeating anyone...but surely you are physically going in to the GP surgery and not leaving until you have an appointment?

You are not being unreasonable you are being very very stupid think jade Goody

Think most people can get their head around this possibly being what’s happening.

Yet it doesn't account for any of the belligerence ie, phone up in a couple of weeks for one mid Jan? But no. “No point” doing that. Might as well not bother. Will take ages to get results so might as well just wait until something changes. “Too busy”. That is literally what they’ve posted.

I understand your predicament but if you want to continue helping your parents and being there for your children you need to bend.

You day your prioritising your parents and children, well no you're not if you won't have a smear.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't understand the reaction to women talk about considering not having a smear. I think I remember the thread you mention. I posted on one once about a woman who'd never been sexually active (I'd been in the same position until my early 40s) and wasn't going to have a smear. People were still telling her how stupid she was even though her chances of developing cervical cancer were extremely low, and the NHS advised her (and had advised me) that a smear wasn't necessary. The anger of some posters towards the OP baffles me.

I don't think comparing considering an abortion is the same as delaying a routine treatment when you have issues already.

She could be preventing full onset ovarian cancer by getting tested, saving the NHS time, money and resources. She is already saying she may as well wait for cancer and the get it treated...

I'll bet if we had to pay for cancer treatment we wouldn't be so casually going "ahhhhh, fuck it, I'll not bother going for my free check up, and then maybe they'll catch it early and it will be a small procedure, nah I'd much rather fork out £350k"

Except in this case OP has already been advised to have annual check ups so not like that example at all.

Abnormal cells may or may not develop into something more sinister. True. I wish people would share their x-ray vision to tell the difference as it would expedite diagnostic tests massively if we just instinctively knew what would happen.

They have told me there are no appointments save for the 3 dates that I cannot do for good reason. So going to the surgery and standing there will just elicit the same answer but face to face.

As a previous poster said, they don't release any more dates yet and have no more appointments to offer currently.

So 'towards the end of next week' (because the receptionist could not be more specific) I need to go through the rigmarole again - with no guarantee of getting an appointment at that point. I cannot specify a convenient call back time and I know if I call there will be a queue and they won't answer.

The point I have been making is that for something so important, for all the reasons other posters have stated, this is a ridiculous system to access the care that I need. It's the equivalent of needing to pass certain challenges/ordeals just to be permitted to access the test.

Right, big day in work, need to step away from mumsnet now.

You were given a choice of three appointments. It’ll be the same with private care as you’ll get a set appointment. Don’t think that the red carpet will be rolled out for you.
For the waiting until it gets worse to have treatment you’ll get appointments that you can’t quibble with. The radiation rod schedule is a set process. Chemo too as you’ll be given set times. Operations as well will not follow your precious timetable. Get ready for this reality.

Have you had a lletz procedure due to cin2? Usually the first smear after that is done back at the gynae unit, so if you have give them a call, they're usually better at fitting you in than a GP, or they can give your GP a kick up the arse.

You were given a choice of three appointments. It’ll be the same with private care as you’ll get a set appointment. Don’t think that the red carpet will be rolled out for you.

But it might not be. At my NHS GP, I had a far greater choice of appointments for a smear. I could choose one convenient to me, that wouldn't interrupt the working day much. I would expect private service to have more like that.

It isn't the same service everywhere. It is easier for some of us, because we're getting more options. I'm willing to bet if the OP was registered with my GP, she wouldn't have started this post. (And I hear other complaints about the practice, so they're not perfect.)

I understand your frustrations Op, I really do.

But you're cutting off your nose to spite your face.

The NHS and your doctors surgery don't care if you die.

Your parents and kids do. You need to find the time.

What about a sexual health clinic? They might be able to do it?

Alternatively, go private asap, I'm sure either they or you can request your history from GP.

@ButterCrackers my 'precious timetable' (charming! 🙄) which means I cannot attend the offered appointments is because:-
a) I'll be supporting elderly parents currently costing the state £0 in social care whilst my father has an NHS operation. I will not let them down.
b) I don't drive so can't do a 600 mile round trip on Xmas eve.
c) I'm on holiday with my kids. Planned for a year. Paid for. I'm not disappointing them.
This is a basic test performed by a practice nurse, not chemo from a specialist centre.

So just go through the hassle of arranging one when you return. Surely if they given you a choice of 3 dates in Jan or Feb then you can manage one

À) You are letting your parents down by not having this important test. Get a carer for one day. It’s possible.
B) You were offered one test on Xmas Eve. The others are on different days.
c) You can go on holiday.
‘you must be really stupid to ignore everyone telling you get the check. Yes - it’s not chemo now but if you do what you plan ie wait until it gets worse that’s were you’re heading. Self selection springs to mind.

The OP claims that she is not going to hear about her results for 4 months and that means she shouldn't even bother to go. I am not sure where she got the 4 months timeframe as the results take 4 weeks tops. But even if it did take 4 months, surely, finding out your results in March is better than finding them out in October when all the stars align and OP can make an appointment without inconveniencing herself.

@Catza where did I say 4 months?

Our practice says 6-8 weeks for the results.

The additional time is how long it takes to arrange an appointment post notification letter.

@ButterCrackers are you seriously suggesting I 'find a carer ' from scratch, for one day, leave my parents the day of my father's operation and do a 600 mile round train trip for a smear test? I guess it's technically possible but highly ridiculous.

I've been thinking further on this. I'll get Xmas/new year over and take my chances going private in the new year. I can't find detail of my CINII treatment on my records on the app. It just states CINII so I'll just tell them that and the date and hope that's enough. Avoids wasting my time with the GP booking/contact process and will be a similar appointment date.