A cervical cancer patient is reminding other women of the importance of going for a smear test. Claire Gallacher, from Irvine, has spoken out about her ordeal ahead of changes to how frequently women are screened for the disease. The 36-year-old had not been for a smear test for five years but was diagnosed after her partner encouraged her to attend the routine appointment in November 2018. She remembered how she felt when she was told to come to the hospital and advised to bring her sister with her. She said: "It was horrible, I phoned them that night and I said I cannot wait until Wednesday to find out and she says' I can't tell you anything over the phone we are going to give you a diagnosis, it's not the worst case and it's manageable that's all I can tell you over the phone'. "I do feel lucky but in the same sense I still feel as though I'm talking about the third person and it's not actually happened to me." From 2020, women will be tested for the human papillomavirus (HPV), a primary cause of cervical cancer, using the samples taken during a smear test. This will be carried out using the same samples of cells taken during a smear test so the experience for women will not change. But if the patient's test comes back negative for HPV, they will be screened every five years instead of every three years. Women who have the virus will be closely monitored and treated if required. Robert Music, from Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust said: "It's going target those more at risk far quicker, far easier and therefore they'll be treated if they have cell changes before they've had the cervical cancer. "But also for those that haven't got high-risk HPV, instead of perhaps being called back year-on-year for potential observation, they can go back into the routine programme and then have less anxiety, less concerns about being invited back in between periods when the normal invitation is." Once the new test is introduced, the chief medical officer is hoping to begin piloting a programme which will allow women to test themselves at home. Dr Catherine Calderwood said: "They will have the same experience but the testing is different and that's what's important because that new test is very much more accurate. "What we hope though is that we will lead to having the ability for women to self test in time so that they won't actually have to come forward for what many people find uncomfortable and embarrassing." A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "We recognise the importance of the provision of high quality information required to support the introduction of HPV testing in the Cervical Screening Programme in Scotland, which is why we are in the process of developing a communications approach. "The group will develop high quality information materials to support the implementation of HPV testing."