Archive press releases
Fast-track smear tests
6 November 2009
Barts and The London NHS Trust has triumphed in a national trial to cut the time it takes to process smear test results.
For the last three months, the Trust has succeeded in getting 100% of cervical screening results back to patients within a fortnight. An impressive 91% of the results reached patients in just a week.
The pilot project, which involved ten NHS sites in England, was supported by NHS Improvement, in partnership with the government’s Cancer Screening Programme.
One of the targets of the government’s cancer reform strategy is for all women to receive their results within a fortnight, by 2010.
Current NHS Cervical Screening Programme guidelines state that all women should receive their screening results within six weeks.
But national figures for 2006/07 confirmed that only 74% of strategic health authorities met this target in England.
Barts’ Cytology * Laboratory and the Trust’s three local primary care trusts, achieved their perfect performance on the two week target by using Lean methodology - a way of working pioneered by Toyota, aimed at cutting out waste and making the most of all resources.
This involved looking at every aspect of the testing process in minute detail to eliminate all possible delays.
Basic changes included using first-class post, posting results back to GPs on a daily rather than a twice-weekly basis; clearer, printed, rather than handwritten, labelling to avoid samples being lost or delayed and enhanced training for all staff.
Barts and The London NHS Trust processes an average 5000 tests a month. That figure soared by almost 100% in March after the death from cervical cancer of reality television star Jade Goody.
Barts’ Cytology Service Manager, Geoffrey Curran, who led the pilot at Barts, said: “The speedy delivery of results with improved accuracy, should reduce the stress of having to wait weeks for a result.
“Women with an abnormal result will now have further investigation and any necessary treatment much sooner than in previous years.
“The overall service to women, throughout the entire pathway, from test to result and treatment, will now be much improved.”
NHS Improvement – whose aim is to deliver improvements in cancer, diagnostics, heart and stroke services – now hopes to roll out the improved way of working to hospitals throughout England .
Professor Mike Richards, National Cancer Director said: ”Pilot sites working with NHS Improvement have demonstrated that the 14 day standard for cervical cytology can be achieved and that this brings benefits both for the patient and for the NHS in terms of potential cost savings”.
Contact: Angela Boon 0207 480 4843 (w) 07708 706591 (mob) Media Manager, Barts and The London NHS Trust
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