CervicalCheck - The National Cervical Screening Programme is pleased to announce the publication of its Smeartaker Training Prospectus for 2009-2010. The prospectus contains information on accredited training courses available for smeartakers and also outlines the benefits of smeartaker training.

Smeartaker training has been identified as critical in the provision of a quality assured cervical screening programme to women aged 25 to 60 in Ireland. CervicalCheck is committed to ensuring that all doctors and nurses undertaking cervical screening are competent in all aspects of smeartaking. The training courses were developed by CervicalCheck's Smeartaker Training Unit in partnership with The National University of Ireland, Galway; The Irish College of General Practitioners and the nursing division of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

The prospectus contains course outlines on a range of courses and details of how smeartakers can register for courses.

CervicalCheck became available to 1.1 million eligible women aged 25 to 60 on 1 September 2008. To date, the Programme has registered over 4,150 smeartakers (GPs, practice nurses, medical practitioners) in over 1,400 locations.

The CervicalCheck Smeartaker Training Prospectus is available to download from the 'Information for health professionals' section of the CervicalCheck website at www.cervicalcheck.ie or on request from the CervicalCheck Smeartaker Training Unit at stu@cervicalcheck.ie or 061-461-234.

Application forms for courses can also be downloaded from the CervicalCheck website www.cervicalcheck.ie