GP practices or clinics can provide free cervical screening services to those eligible for screening. This is as part of CervicalCheck, Ireland's national cervical screening programme.
To provide the service:
- at least one doctor in the GP practice or clinic must sign and engage in a contract with CervicalCheck
- any qualified health professionals must register with CervicalCheck if they will be providing screening services
- your GP practice or clinic must operate in a primary care setting
Contract to provide cervical screening services
A contract to provide cervical screening services can only be agreed with a:
- GP
- medical practitioner
- medical or clinical director of a clinic
Contact our programme office if you want to enter into a contract with CervicalCheck.
You will need to tell us if you are applying as a GP practice or a clinic. We will send you a contract registration pack.
You will need to return a completed contract to us, as well as provide other registration documents.
When we have processed your contract and registration documents, we will contact you to let you know:
- that we have received your documentation
- the date the contract between you and CervicalCheck will begin
Register a health professional to provide cervical screening tests
To register 1 or more qualified health professionals with CervicalCheck:
- print out and fill in a registration form for each health professional - there is a form for GP practices and a different form for clinics
- return a completed form to the CervicalCheck Programme Office
Only a GP, doctor, medical director or clinical director who has signed a contract with CervicalCheck can register another health professional to provide screening services.
Health professionals include:
- GPs
- doctors
- assistant GPs
- nurses
- trainee GPs
All health professionals must be registered with either the Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
The contact details of all contracted GP practices and clinics are listed on the CervicalCheck website. This is to help women find a registered GP practice or clinic where they can have a screening test.
GP practice or clinics can also ask to have the names of registered health professionals listed on the website.
[RT]Find a GP practice or clinic registered with CervicalCheck
Registration form for GP Practice
GP Practices - Qualified Person Registration Form
Registration form for clinics, family planning centres or Well Woman centres
Clinic, Family Planning Centre or Well Woman centre - Qualified Person Registration Form
Filling out the registration form
You need to fill out a separate registration form for each health professional that will provide cervical screening services.
The form must be signed by the contracted GP, medical director or clinical director.
Where a health professional is employed by more than 1 contracted doctor, a separate form must be signed by each contracted doctor.
Clinical responsibility
The contracted GP, medical director or clinical director of a contracted clinic will have clinical responsibility for all registered health professionals. This is outlined in their contract.
They will also have clinical responsibility for all cervical screening tests those health professionals carry out in that practice or clinic.
Payments
Payment is made directly to the contracted GP or clinic for eligible tests taken by the health professional registered by that GP or clinic.
Training
A doctor in your practice or clinic should complete our online e-learning module, 'CervicalCheck in Practice'. They should do this before beginning cervical screening services.
The short module provides instructions and best practice in cervical screening. The training is in line with the Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Cervical Screening.
Update the registration details of a doctor, nurse, GP practice or clinic
Details of a health professional (sample taker), medical practice or clinic may be changed/ updated by emailing the CervicalCheck Programme Office - admin@cervicalcheck.ie.
Tell us about any changes of details as soon as possible, especially if:
- a contracted doctor leaves the practice or clinic
- a registered doctor or nurse leaves the practice or clinic
- the status of a doctor changes - for example, from trainee GP to assistant GP
Changes related to a GP practice or clinic that we should be told about include:
- change of address
- change of telephone number
- change in the facilities - for example, the addition of wheelchair access
- a change in email or website addresses
Ending a contract for cervical screening services
You must write to us if you no longer wish to retain a contract with CervicalCheck.
This requirement is included in the contract.
Contact the CervicalCheck Programme Office
CervicalCheck Programme Office
PO Box 161,
Limerick
Phone: 061 406500
admin@cervicalcheck.ie