Setting Standards for Cervical Screening Fail-Safe Mechanisms: A Target Based on an Audit of Cytopathology Laboratory Records

Objective — To examine the efficacy of cytopathology laboratories in monitoring action following an abnormal cervical smear.Setting — 11 screening laboratories serving 19 districts in the former North Western region of the United Kingdom.Method — 944 validated cases were identified at 11 laboratories. The screening history for each abnormal smear was obtained from the screening laboratory and compared with the records from the relevant family health services authority (FHSA) database.Results — Laboratories held complete follow up records in 740 (78·4%) cases; the FHSA records extended this to 910 (96·4%) cases. Poor communication was the main problem; computerisation was not necessary to improve fail-safe procedures.Conclusions — Audit of fail-safe procedures is a valuable purchasing tool, identifying weaknesses and strengths, setting and maintaining standards.