Women’s Health Services

Our Women’s Health Services from TyneHealth cover our cervical screening offer, our heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) service and includes information on breast screening in North Tyneside.

Cervical Screening

Cervical screening – sometimes called a smear test – checks the health of your cervix. All women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 should receive an invite by letter. If you haven’t received your invite and you believe your smear test is due or overdue, please contact your GP to arrange an appointment.

If you need an appointment in the evening or at the weekend TyneHealth now also offer cervical screening appointments (smear tests) through our Enhanced Access Service and you can call to book an appointment on 0191 486 2195.

Cervical screening saves lives

Age	When you’re invited
Under 25	Up to 6 months before you turn 25
25 to 49	Every 3 years
50 to 64	Every 5 years
65 or older	Only if 1 of your last 3 tests was abnormal

TyneHealth's Cervical Screening Offer

As part of TyneHealth’s Enhanced Access service, we are able to offer cervical screening (smear test) appointments outside of usual GP surgery opening hours – including evenings and weekends.

Clinics will run at different sites on various times and dates and will be at one of our dedicated Enhanced Access hubs which are located at GP practices and community venues across North Tyneside.

Anyone that is 25-64 who has been informed they are due or overdue a smear test can book into our appointments so long as they are registered at a North Tyneside GP Practice.

Find out more about Enhanced Access by clicking below.

TyneHealth Enhanced Access

Appointments can be booked via your GP practice or you can also book via our Enhanced Access appointment line on 0191 486 2195 during service opening times. The different site locations and operational hours are on the map above.

Why Do I Need A Cervical Screening Appointment?

Two women die every day from cervical cancer in England. Yet it is one of the most preventable cancers and getting screened can help stop it before it starts. Screening helps prevent cervical cancer by checking for a virus called high-risk HPV which causes nearly all cervical cancers. This is the best way to find out who is at higher risk of developing the cervical cell changes that over time could potentially lead to cervical cancer. Any cervical cell changes can be treated, preventing cervical cancer. Don’t be alarmed if you have HPV as it does not mean you have cervical cancer – it’s a common virus that most people will get at some point in their lives.

It has been estimated that in England, cervical screening prevents 70% of cervical cancer deaths and that if everyone attended screening regularly, 83% of cervical cancer deaths could be prevented.

On the 14th of February the Department of Health and Social Care, together with NHS England and NHS Improvement, launched a Help Us Help You – Cervical Screening Campaign, to highlight the benefits of cervical screening and remind people that that it can help stop cancer before it starts.

Women and people with a cervix aged 25-64 are eligible for screening. Those registered as female with their GP practice are invited for routine screening every three years if they are aged 25-49 and every five years if they are aged 50-64. Those registered as male will need to request an appointment from their GP or a local sexual health clinic.

The campaign provides information and tips to those who may be worried or embarrassed about cervical screening. These include:

For most, cervical screening tests are not painful. But if you are worried that you may find the test uncomfortable, remember you are in control and can ask to stop at any time.
Discuss your concerns with your nurse, you can ask for a smaller speculum or the nurse can advise you on different positions to make it more comfortable.
If you want to make sure a woman carries out your test, you can ask for this when you make your appointment.
You might want to wear a skirt or dress or a long jumper, which you can keep on during the test. If you forget to do this, don’t worry – you’ll be provided with a disposable modesty sheet to cover yourself.
Ask your nurse about breathing exercises, as these can help. Take a podcast or music to listen to – this may help you relax or distract you.
Cervical screening only lasts a few minutes, and you only have to go once every 3 or 5 years depending on your age. It’s a few minutes that could save your life.

It’s not a test for cancer, it’s a test to help prevent cancer.

For more information please visit www.nhs.uk/cervicalscreening

Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Some women suffer from Menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding) and the usual oral treatments have not been effective for them. This condition is very common but usually can be easily treated, so if you suffer from heavy periods, don’t suffer in silence, but visit your GP for further advice.

If oral treatments haven’t worked, your GP will usually want to investigate your symptoms in more detail. Practices across North Tyneside will often have a GP working within their own practice who specialises in women’s health, or they may make an appointment with another neighbouring GP Practice, to give you a thorough check-up and if appropriate, treat you with a Mirena Coil (Inter Uterine Device or IUD) or another of the Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs) like an implant or Depo Provera injection.

If there’s any suspicion that you might have an underlying problem within the lining of the womb causing your heavy menstrual bleeding, then your GP or the specialist GP will always refer you to hospital for further investigation with the local Gynaecology Services.

Breast Screening

The NHS breast screening programme (a mammogram) uses X-rays to look for cancers that are too small to see or feel. Anyone registered with a GP as female will be invited for NHS breast screening every 3 years between the ages of 50 and 71. You’ll get a letter in the post inviting you.

Click here to find out when you’ll be invited, depending on your GP practice.