Cervical sample taker training
New Resource for November 2024: NHS Cervical Screening Sample Taking Checklist.
To support the safe and effective delivery of sample taking in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme and reduce the number of avoidable sample rejections, a checklist has been created by the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Public Health Commissioning Team. Colleagues and organisations involved in cervical screening sample taking are strongly encouraged to utilise the checklist as a resource to support service delivery. The checklist has 2 parts:
- Page 1 provides a detailed breakdown of the areas cervical screening sample takers must ensure are correct as part of the sample taking process
- Page 2 provides simple prompts for the detailed breakdown
Should you have any queries on this or the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in general, please contact the Surrey & Sussex Screening & Immunisation Team: england.surreysussexsit@nhs.net.
National guidance on the training of new cervical sample takers
Education Pathway
Cervical sample taking is one element of a complex screening pathway. A cervical screening test is a consultation and clinical examination. A cervical sample taker must have the required level of knowledge and understanding of the cervical screening programme, and clinical skill, to safeguard the individual.
The following UK registered healthcare professionals are eligible to train to undertake the role of cervical sample taker:
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Registered nurses
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Registered nursing associates
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Registered midwives
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Physician associates who are registered on the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR)
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Registered healthcare professionals working in integrated sexual health (ISH) clinics
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General Medical Council (GMC) registered medical doctors
Taking cervical samples is a delegated activity and the nursing associate works within the remits of their professional code. The screening provider must consider safety, quality, competency and the treatment of disease, disorder or injury (TDDI) legislation when deploying a nursing associate. When a nursing associate has registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), a registered professional listed under the legislation (registered nurse or GP) will need to supervise their practice. The individual who provides this professional support must be present at the GP practice in order to undertake indirect supervision of the nursing associate when carrying out the procedure.
Registered nurses, nursing associates, midwives and physician associates must complete a recognised theoretical course followed by a period of supervised training as described in this guidance.
Initial Training
The training period for trainee sample takers is a maximum of 9 months from enrolment through to completion. Any training provider can be used as long as training meets the criteria within the national guidance and is accredited.
The links below are the training providers used across Surrey to date:
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NEPSEC (North of England Pathology and Screening Education Centre)
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Clinical Training Ltd
Sample Taker Numbers
Practice managers can now register someone working at their practice on the sample taker database and allocate a sample taker number
asp-tr.bspssampletakers@nhs.net
In doing so, the individual health professional is confirming that they have taken or are undertaking training which meets the criteria within the national guidance.
To obtain a sample taker number the following information is needed:
NURSES:
You will need to provide the following training information to register a
nurse:
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Initial cervical screening training date and the name of the initial training provider
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Cervical Sample taker update training date (if initial training was not within the last 3 years)
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Certificate of completion - the most recent training course (this will be either initial or update training depending which was completed most recently).
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Email address
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NMC number
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Full name
GPs:
You will need to provide the following training information to register a
doctor:
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Email address
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GMC Number
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Full Name
Doctors do not need an initial training date. Doing their medical degree and medical training is acceptable. As long as they have a GMC number, then we know they are a registered doctor. This can be accepted.
Although not mandatory it is highly recommended that GPs complete the e-LFH cervical screening update module. We received this advice from NHS England and is stated on the website under updated training for GPs.
NHS Screening Programmes - elearning for healthcare (e-lfh.org.uk)
The national guidance on training to take samples is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-cervical-sample-taker-training
The national guidance recommends that qualified medical doctors undertake the cervical screening training as described in this guidance to enhance their specialist training.
It is only a
recommendation
and we cannot mandate that doctors undertake this.
Please consider any specialist training the Doctor has undertaken, prior experience of taking samples and make a decision whether following the guidance in sections 3.22/3.23 would be sufficient in order to take samples.
We would expect Doctors are working within their professional codes of conduct / professional sphere of practice and would only undertake procedures unsupervised once they feel competent and are trained to do so. All registered health professionals involved in cervical screening must keep up to date with developments in the programme and meet their professional obligations for continuing professional development. The guidance also details the minimum requirements for update training.
Cervical Screening Mentor
The cervical screening mentor supports the trainee through their practical sample taker training and confirms their achievement for progression to the final evaluation and clinical assessment.
Mentors must be practising sample takers with at least 12 months continuous experience, having taken at least 50 cervical samples following completion of their own initial training. Mentors must have effective communication skills and ideally hold a relevant mentoring and, or teaching qualification. Further information about the role of the mentor is detailed in the
national sample taker training guidance.
Cervical Screening Assessor
The assessor is external to the trainee’s place of work. The assessor is responsible for conducting the trainee’s final clinical assessment. The training provider is responsible for recruiting and inducting individuals to the role of assessor making sure they understand the role, are sufficiently prepared to carry it out and are consistent in their practice. Further information about the role of the assessor is detailed in the
national sample taker training guidance.
There will be opportunity for experienced practitioners to undertake this course fully funded due to the challenges due to COVID-19. Please
contact the Training Hub
if you are interested in this opportunity.
Required Update Training for cervical sample takers
Sample takers must undertake a minimum of 3 hours update training every 3 years. The
national eflh resource for sample takers
meets the programme requirements for update training. This is a free resource suitable for update training only and sample takers will need to
register and create an elfh account.
