GPs are being urged to have their say on patient self-swabbing for HPV test samples in a new federal Department of Health consultation ahead of its decision on offering it to all patients.

The department has asked the University of Melbourne to survey GPs to identify any barriers to implementation of broad access to self-collection, which is currently restricted to women 30 or older who have never been screened or who are two years overdue for a test.

The consultation comes as the Federal Government mulls a Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) recommendation to change two Medicare items to allow self-collection for all people with a cervix from the age of 24 and nine months.

The survey (see link below) is canvassing GP views on whether they support self-collection, including making it available to everyone.