The National Cervical Screening programme has made changes to the standard recall period for cervical smears.
For all smears taken on or after the 1st July 2025, the standard recall time will be 5 years rather than 3 years, as it had previously been for some age groups.
There are some variations to this dependent on the results of the sample. This will be explained in the patient result letter that you will receive after your test.
For more information about cervical smears: