We need to collect, store and use some of your personal information as part of cervical screening.
This includes your:
- name
- address and eircode
- phone number
- date of birth
- PPS number
- surname at birth
- mother's maiden name
- cervical screening samples and slides
- cervical screening history
Your cervical screening history can include:
- how we invited you for cervical screening
- your cervical screening results
- colposcopy attendances
- colposcopy treatments you've had
- biopsy results
- details on if you've had the HPV vaccine
We only collect, store and use information, results and records taken as part of the national cervical screening programme.
The HSE’s National Screening Service (NSS) is the data controller for your personal information.
Where we get your information
We put together a list of people eligible for the national cervical screening programme - CervicalCheck.
We get these details from:
- the Department of Social Protection
- you when you register for cervical screening by phone or online
- the laboratory that checks your cervical screening sample - if you're not already on our list
The law that allows us to collect and use your name, address and date of birth for the national cervical screening programme is the Health (Provision of Information) Act, 1997.
Check, update or join the cervical screening register
Who can have cervical screening
How we use your information
We use your personal information to:
- write to you about when your next cervical screening is due
- send your results to you
- do a personal cervical screening review, if you request it
We may also share your information with other health services such as:
- the GP, doctor or nurse who takes your cervical screening sample
- the labs in Ireland and the USA that check your sample
- colposcopy clinics
- the histology lab that does your biopsy
- the National Cancer Registry Ireland
- independent medical professionals or labs that may review your information at your request
We share your information to:
- make sure there is an accurate record of your cervical screening history
- see if cervical screening reduces the number of people who get cervical cancer or who die from cervical cancer
Personal cervical screening review and your information
If you developed cervical cancer after cervical screening you can have a personal cervical screening review. We use your personal information if you request a review. This includes your name.
We may share your information or request it from other healthcare providers for the purpose of review. We will only do this if you give us your consent and have requested a review.
Independent slide review and your information
If you request your slides to be reviewed independently, we will record and hold some information. For example, the slide number, slide date and laboratory it was sent to.
We do not have access to or hold information on the findings of your independent slide review.
Other ways we use your information
We may use your information to help us:
- meet quality standards
- improve the quality of our cervical screening programme
- meet our obligations as a public health service
We may use your information to contact you and ask you to:
- share your experience with us
- take part in research
You can choose to take part or not. We will not use your personal information as part of research without consent.
We may use your cervical screening samples and personal information:
- as part of our quality assurance checks and audits
- to teach scientists and doctors in training
This is to help improve our cervical screening programme. But we will never publish your name.
How long we hold your information for
We hold your:
- personal information while you take part in the cervical screening programme and for 8 years afterwards
- cervical screening slides for 15 years from when the cervical screening sample was taken
This is in line with the HSE record retention policy.
Your data protection rights
We will keep your personal information safe and confidential. This is in line with data protection laws and your legal rights.
You can request:
- access to your personal information
- that inaccurate or incomplete information is corrected or updated
- that we do not use or process your personal information
- that we delete your personal information
- to get your personal information as a digital file
You can lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission at any time.
Your rights are not absolute. This means there may be situations where a request cannot be granted.
Contact us about your data protection rights
Contact the NSS Information Governance Office to:
- discuss your data protection rights
- ask that your information is erased
- access your personal information
Email: dataprotection@screeningservice.ie
If you are not happy with our response to your rights request, you can make a complaint to the Data Protection Commission.
Contact the Data Protection Commission - dataprotection.ie
How to request your cervical screening records and slides for independent review