The French Approach to Your Annual Gynaecological Check-up in London

Ask almost any French woman when she last saw her gynaecologist and she will tell you the year, not the decade. In France, an annual gynaecological visit is simply part of looking after yourself, like the dentist. Move to London and that rhythm quietly disappears — not because anyone decides it should, but because the system is built on a different idea of when a woman needs to be seen. I trained in that French model and now practise in this one, so I spend a lot of time helping women understand the gap, and decide what they want to do about it.

In France, the annual visit is a habit — not a referral

The French system treats the gynaecologist as a first point of contact for women's health. You do not need your GP to refer you: gynaecologists are one of the few specialties women can consult directly while still being reimbursed. Culturally, the yearly appointment is the norm, and it folds contraception, cervical smears, breast checks and any niggling symptoms into one familiar visit with a doctor who knows you.

It is not a flawless system — the number of gynaecologists in France has fallen sharply, and waits can be long. But the underlying assumption is powerful: a woman deserves a regular, dedicated conversation about her reproductive and hormonal health, whether or not anything is wrong.

What the NHS offers — and where it stops

The NHS is excellent at what it sets out to do, but it is built around targeted screening, not an annual check. That distinction matters, so here is what it actually covers:

• Cervical screening: since 1 July 2025, women aged 25 to 49 who test HPV-negative are invited every five years rather than three; women aged 50 to 64 are screened every five years. The science is sound — a negative HPV test means cervical cancer is very unlikely for years. But the interval is longer than many women expect. (More in my guide to cervical screening in 2026.)
• Breast screening: mammograms are offered every three years to women aged 50 up to their 71st birthday — nothing routine before 50.
• Everything else — contraception reviews, perimenopause, painful or heavy periods, pelvic pain — is symptom-led, usually starting with a ten-minute GP appointment and a referral only if needed.

In other words, a healthy woman with no symptoms is not routinely seen by a gynaecologist on the NHS at all. For many years between screening invitations, no one is looking at the whole picture.

Why an annual review still earns its place

Screening programmes are designed to catch specific cancers in whole populations efficiently. They are not designed to notice that your periods have crept heavier over eighteen months, that your contraception no longer suits you, or that the anxiety and broken sleep you have put down to work are in fact early perimenopause. Those are exactly the things a regular, unhurried review picks up — the slow changes that never feel urgent enough to book a GP appointment, until suddenly they do.

This is the real value of the French habit. Not more tests for the sake of it, but continuity: one specialist who sees you year on year, notices what has shifted, and helps you stay ahead of problems rather than chasing them. It is also where a conversation about menopause and HRT or a change of contraception happens naturally, before things reach a crisis.

What a check-up actually involves

A preventive gynaecology appointment is tailored to your age and history rather than a fixed checklist, and it is far gentler than many women fear. Rather than repeat the detail here, I have written a full walk-through of what a well-woman check-up includes — the conversation, the examination, the tests by age group, and what to expect at each step. This article is about the why and the how often; that one is about the what.

You do not need a referral to keep the French habit in London

Here is the part many of my patients are relieved to hear: you do not have to give up the annual visit just because you have moved to the UK. While NHS gynaecology generally needs a GP referral, privately you can self-refer and see a medical gynaecologist directly — exactly as you would in France. You can keep your screening on the NHS and add a yearly preventive review with a gynaecologist who speaks your language and understands both systems. If you are weighing all this up as a French woman new to London, my complete guide to seeing a gynaecologist in London sets out the practicalities.

This article is for general information and does not replace personal medical advice. Screening intervals and recommendations should be tailored to your individual history — please discuss yours with a clinician. In an emergency, call 999.