Low long are smear results taking at the moment?

[Wenttoseainasieve]

Does anybody know how long the wait for results currently is? I get so anxious waiting, it's been 9 days so far. The nurse who did my test didn't know.

Why are there delays when screening take up is at an all time low?

I'm not judging the nhs, just wondering

I can't even get an appointment to have one until April even though I'm past my 2nd reminder letter so who knows how long it will take to get back results, probably when I'm already abroad working this Summer. Yet we see all these guilt-tripping campaigns about how it 'takes 2 minutes'.

There just isn't the staff to screen the slides, hence the backlogs.
A screener is only allowed to do it for a set number of hours a day due to the intensity of the work, it's an aging population (screener that is) with a long training period and new recruits have been put on hold due to the introduction of hpv testing. And it's rubbish pay for the responsibility of it which also hinders obtaining new recruits.
That however doesn't mean you shouldn't go for your smear. And the advertising is correct, it does only take a few minutes to have it done. Unfortunately results may take slightly longer than expected but that shouldn't put you off.

I had mine on Tuesday, My Nurse said 2 Weeks any later the surgery chase for results. Hope this helps, This is for North Staffordshire anyway.

Also, She did mention that Jade Goody's Death has been in the papers and News again the last week, so that usually sees a rise in smear attendance which may be why your waiting longer for results.

And the advertising is correct, it does only take a few minutes to have it done.

Once you're actually in there. But for many, there's a real struggle to get an appointment at all, especially if they have to work during the day or cannot get time off unpaid or have no childcare (I have this issue as I had a child with SN who cannot be looked after except by me or my husband, who works shifts, so it's school hours or I cannot go), if they live or work far from the surgery/transport issues, if the clinic runs late and they cannot afford to wait, if they have a practitioner who can readily do the exam (this site has hundreds of threads from women whose cervix is not easily located or who have serious issues with pain and trauma).

The advertising is glossing over some very real barriers that many women face. In fact, if you read the opt-out form these and others are all highlighted, minimising their issues and attempting to guilt and shame them, if they get cervical cancer it's their fault for not taking 'two minutes' is the underlying implication.

That's a crap way to treat women but, oh, wait . . .

Sexual health clinics will also carry out a smear and they usually have longer opening times.

I was told 12 weeks but actually it was about 20 (this a few months ago).

I had to wait 12 weeks for mine! Apparently there was a backlog

Sexual health clinics will also carry out a smear and they usually have longer opening times.

Good to know if a) you have one in your vicinity (lots of them closed round here) and b) they will treat over 25s (ours is a once a month thing, under 25s only).

I'm nearly 48. At this point, I'm probably not going to bother, but since they make it such a bear to opt out (they'll give you an appointment pronto for that!) I'll just continue defaulting. We live in a rural area, I'm perimenopausal and irregular, I have to structure everything round my son's SN (funny how there's no practical help with that!), I was told to ring back in April as they're 'waiting for some equipment' and I'll be away with said SN child (working and trying to get him help he cannot get here) abroad by the time they can maybe get round to reading the results.

Thanks for replies.

I actually called my surgery this morning to ask what the turnover was and they said 6-8 weeks!!

However my results actually came today, I'm HPV negative so don't need another for 3 years, phew.

The person at the surgery said because of the move to primary HPV testing they don't need as many cytologists so lots are leaving.

6-8 wears here!

It’s going to vary nationwide, not everyone uses the same lab.

The issue I've got with the hpv testing is that surely not all cervical cancers are caused by HPV? So they're going to miss all the hpv negative ones.

Not sure I understand the primary hpv testing either. So results could come back with abnormal cells but no hpv and this would be treated as a normal result and retest in 3 years!?

In primary HPV areas, the cells are only looked at by a person if the (primary) HPV test is positive.

These tests are turned around very quickly and don't need anyone to examine anything if negative, so should get results nack within 14 days.

Mine were 7 days. Quickest ever. Bro Taf area

My information leaflet said that over 99% of cervical cancers contain HPV DNA. Primary HPV testing will prevent more of the cancers caused by HPV than traditional cytology, but fewer of those that aren't. The number of HPV related cancers it will prevent is greater than the number of HPV negative cancers that may not be detected, so it should prevent more cancer overall than the old way of doing it. There are some very reassuring studies to be found online for those that are worried.

I'm in the Midlands and results came back in around 8days. Got it done in Dec 2018, thought it would take long because of Xmas but the nurse said results would be back in around 2 weeks.

Mine came today, so two weeks exactly.