National Cervical Screening Programme

24 December 2004

Improvements Continue For National Cervical Screening Programme

The findings of the Cervical Cancer Audit 2004 further strengthen ongoing efforts to enhance the national cervical screening programme.

The Ministry of Health has welcomed the audit findings, released in November, which noted that the screening programme was of a generally high standard.

The audit made 31 recommendations to increase the programme's effectiveness. To date, 26 of the audit recommendations are under way, four have been completed and one is under consideration.

The cervical screening work programme incorporates many of the audit recommendations and considerable progress had already been made in many of the areas highlighted by the audit.

The audit recommended implementing strategies to increase the number of women who are screened regularly, in particular Maori and Pacific women.

As well, it called for development of a nationally consistent recall system to ensure women are notified when they are due for a screening smear.

The Ministry's preliminary response to the audit findings can be found on the Ministry of Health website www.moh.govt.nz/cervicalcanceraudit

The 31 recommendations can be found in the executive summary of the Cervical Cancer Audit 2002 Screening of Women with Cervical Cancer: 2000 - 2002 - Executive Summary (PDF, 145kB)

ENDS

© Scoop Media