Nurse-led Clinic

We are pleased to offer a Nurse-led clinic that provides a variety of services led by Clinical Nurse Specialist Jennifer Byrne at our modern and newly opened clinic in the historic Austin Friars Square in the City of London.

The nurse-led services include: cervical screening and HPV Sub-Typing, 3 STI screening package options ranging from Mini, Essential to Comprehensive and two HPV Vaccination options and for existing patients, Pre and Post Op care telephone consultations can be offered.

The clinic will take place every Monday morning from 8:30am – 1pm. The services are provided to look after and access your gynaecological and sexual health and include a consultation, Prices start from £150. kindly note, the services are for self-pay patients only.

The services include:

• Primary HPV Screening
• Co-Test Smear & HPV Sub-Typing
• 3 STI screening package options ranging from Mini, Essential to Comprehensive
• HPV vaccination offered as self-pay packages and include the full 3 injections and a consultation as standard with the additional option of including a smear and HPV sub typing.
• Pre and Post Op care telephone consultations (this is offered at no extra charge and provided to existing patients)

Nurse led smear tests: Primary HPV Screening & Co-Test Smear & HPV Sub-Typing

In the UK, The Department of Health recommends that women aged between 25 to 64 years old undergo routine cervical smears every 3 to 5 years.

Cervical screening is not recommended for women under the age of 25, due to it being common to have changes in the cells of the cervix below this age, and in turn most will go away on their own, while treating these changes could lead to issues later. It is important to attend screening regardless of your sexual orientation, sexual history, or whether you have had the HPV vaccination. Please note that you do not need cervical screening if you have had a total hysterectomy in which you have all your womb and cervix removed.

What is primary HPV screening?

Primary HPV screening looks at a sample of cells taken at during your cervical screening (smear test) appointment. The sample is tested for a virus called high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) in a laboratory to see if have ‘high risk HPV’. High risk HPV has the potential to cause cervical cell changes. In most cases, your immune system will clear the virus itself, without you ever knowing that you had it. However cervical cell changes can develop into cervical cancer over time. Therefore is it is important to monitor any changes and have treatment if necessary.

Therefore, having cervical screening lowers your risk of getting cervical cancer.

What is HPV Sub-Typing?

If after your cervical screening you have HPV, HPV sub-typing will be able to inform you of the type of HPV you have. A positive result confirms which out of the 14 high-risk sub types you are positive for.

What do my results mean?

Some test results can be false positive – when the test result comes back as positive but there is no clinically significant disease when further testing is carried out.  However, some tests can be false negatives – when the result is negative but clinically the disease is there.  This can lead to delayed diagnosis.

There are 4 possible results.

HPV NEGATIVE – No further tests will be required. This result means it is unlikely that you will have any abnormal cervical cells. You will be called back for screening again in 3 years. (Depending on your age).

HPV Positive with NO ABNORMAL CELLS – If your sample shows that HPV is positive, the laboratory will also test if for abnormal cervical cells. If none are found, your result will read as HPV, but no abnormal cells.  You will be asked to come for screening again sooner than usual.  This is so we can check if your immune system has gotten rid of the HPV (which happens in most cases).

HPV Positive with ABNORMAL CELLS FOUND – There are several grades of abnormal cells as some are more serious than others. You will be asked to have a colposcopy and we will send you our information leaflet about ‘Having a colposcopy’. If you need a colposcopy this is like having a smear.

INADEQUATE RESULT – Occasionally a sample may be called ‘inadequate. This simply means it could be due to a technical problem, if the laboratory for instance cannot get a HPV test result from your sample or cannot see if abnormal cells are present or not.  If you have had an inadequate test, we will ask you to have a cervical screening again in 3 months’ time.

HPV Vaccination:

The vaccine should ideally be carried out before sexual debut but as the vaccine protects against all 4 strains (and only 1% of women are exposed to all four types), it is likely that 99% of women are likely to benefit from HPV vaccination. HPV vaccination is relevant for all age groups.

The Nurse-Led services will include a consultation with a Lead Nurse; the vaccination is a course of 3 intramuscular injections at 0, 2 and 6 months with the first dose at a date of your choosing. At an additional cost, we also offer a smear test and HPV Sub-typing which will be able to inform you of the type of HPV you have.

Make an appointment 

The Nurse-led clinic will be open from Monday 21^st February. Prices start from £150, Full details about the services can be found here.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Jennifer will provide regular, low-cost services to women from the heart of the City of London. Our wider nursing team and non-clinical staff look forward to welcoming patients into our clinic that is in walking distance to City stations, Bank, Liverpool St and Moorgate.