Education that supports professional development

We offer educational opportunities tailored to professionals at different stages of their careers. These include:

• novice training programmes for new sample takers
• continuing professional development through a suite of online clinical updates and recorded webinars
• lunch and learn webinars focused on emerging topics
• targeted training interventions in response to identified quality issues.

Shaping education guided by experts

We develop and publish educational resources including clinical guidance notes, protocols and practical educational tools. These resources support practitioners in delivering consistent, high-quality care. This work is supported by an Education Advisory Group.

This group brings together a broad mix of expertise to guide and strengthen cervical screening education. Together, we ensure our education programmes and resources are evidence-based, clinically robust, relevant to practice, and aligned with the needs of both healthcare professionals and women who are eligible for screening.

A recent example includes our work with Ireland’s National Women and Infants Health Programme to develop guidance for GPs on how to manage women with symptoms. This clinical guidance and targeted education helps primary care teams understand when symptoms need investigation and how to ensure women receive timely referral and care – even if they are not due for screening. This complements the screening programme and helps ensure that women with symptoms access the appropriate care.

Education to support equity in screening

We work to make screening more accessible by extending education and support beyond traditional primary care settings.

We have strengthened collaboration and engagement with women’s health services across Ireland’s national health service, the Health Service Executive, ensuring cervical screening is part of the conversation at every opportunity. We have embedded cervical screening practice in ambulatory gynaecology clinics, genito-urinary clinics and Sexual Assault Treatment Units – where speculum examinations are often part of their care. This creates new opportunities for women to be screened in a familiar and supportive setting.

In recent years, we have embedded trauma-informed cervical screening into our education. We tailor our education approaches to support services such as those that care for women who are homeless, migrant women, and refugees. This collaborative approach has improved access to cervical screening by addressing barriers related to language, culture, education and service availability.

Case Study: Supporting trauma-informed cervical screening for women in prison

A nurse-led initiative in Limerick Female Prison is enabling more women to access cervical screening. It includes a peer-to-peer education programme and a trauma-informed, female-led health clinic.

Studies show women in prison are diagnosed with cervical cancer at rates four to five times higher than women in the general community. Despite national reductions in cervical cancer rates due to organised screening, we know from research that women in prison typically receive later diagnoses with poorer outcomes. Recognising this gap, the prison implemented a new trauma-informed, on-site screening model in 2023. This was supported by the establishment of a dedicated medical facility and the recruitment of a female GP. The initiative reflects Limerick Female Prison’s commitment to equitable healthcare, rehabilitation, and trauma-informed care.

Our CervicalCheck STU provided formal accreditation to participating nurses, and Rape Crisis Centre counsellors offer trauma support.

Cervical Cancer Elimination

Our initiatives align with Ireland’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan 2025-2030 and our Strategic Framework to improve equity in screening 2023-2027. They show how education can drive practical action to reduce inequalities and bring screening to people who might otherwise be left behind.

As European countries work towards the shared goal of eliminating cervical cancer, the Irish experience shows how a dedicated training unit can underpin success – and how education can be a powerful lever for quality, equity and better outcomes for women who choose screening.