Cervical Cytology Laboratory Review
October 2008 Update
There have been 2 further meetings of the review group taking place in March 2008 and October 2008.
There has been significant progress which is outlined below:-
Options Appraisal
Tribal Consulting have been appointed to develop the options appraisal for laboratory delivery and complete this work for the review group by 2009.
The process started with benefit criteria workshops in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Perth through August and September. Open invitations were sent out to stakeholders with over 100 attendees including biomedical scientists, advanced practitioners, consultants, administrative staff, screening coordinators and public health. The main purpose was to ascertain the key criteria stakeholders felt were important in delivering cervical cytology laboratory services. In all 335 written comments were received across the 4 events. When complete the criteria would provide the basis for scoring the options which develop. Attendees were also asked to volunteer for involvement in this process. The presentation given at the events is available to view online.
Many thanks to all who took part!!!
The Cervical Review Group which consists of staff, lay, government, SPAN and partnership representation chaired by John Burns (Chief Executive, Dumfries and Galloway) will rank and weight the key criteria at their October 2008 meeting.
Feasibility Study
Cytyc UK were appointed after European tender to provide the equipment and expertise for a feasibility study to assess the use of an imaging system within the Scottish Cervical Cytology laboratories as outlined in the feasibility paper from the March 2008 update. An active project initiation document and risk register has been developed.
Site surveys in the 6 proposed labs have been completed and requirements for inclusion in the study have been met and finalised with local Health Board management and Cytyc.
Anne Park was appointed as Project Manager for the Feasibility Study taking up post on 21st July. She is based in Ninewells Pathology Department Dundee and can be contacted at anne.park@nhs.net.
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary will house the ThinPrep Imager for the North East, acting as the network hub site for the duration of the study. Raigmore in Inverness and Ninewells in Dundee are the spoke sites. In the West of Scotland Inverclyde Royal Hospital will be the network hub site with Glasgow Royal and the Southern General the spoke sites.
Imagers and review scopes are now all in place across the 6 sites. Local standard operating procedures are in place and staff have completed the training and validation programme. The transition period of 6 to 8 weeks for acclimatisation to the new stain and technology is nearing completion. Inverclyde has gone live with the new system from 15th September with other sites to cascade on.
The labs not taking part in the study have received a CPD lunchtime talk carried out by the project manager, and a Cytyc/Hologic representative. Other stakeholders including GP's and colposcopy have been updated with the progress.
The minutes from the feasibility group meetings for June , July , and August are attached.
The date of the next Feasibility group meeting is the 28th October 2008 at Victoria Quay.
Derek Bishop and Anne Park
October 2008