Women referred for colposcopy after a positive cervical screening test face a ‘nerve-racking’ wait or are paying to go private as referrals swamp the public system, doctors say.

An analysis of primary HPV testing outcomes from a major laboratory shows colposcopy referrals to the public system tripled in the first half of last year.

Central Coast GP Dr Elly Warren says that a lengthy wait time of between four and six months for women requiring colposcopy is understandably stressful, and as a result, many of her patients are opting to be seen privately.

“It’s hard to say whether that’s an acceptable wait time; it’s certainly longer than people had hoped,” says Dr Warren, who is a member of the Cancer Institute of NSW’s cervical screening advisory committee.