KEY POINTS:
The National Screening Unit is demanding better management of cervical cancer screening services after reviews of district health boards found flaws.
"We want to see some improvement," said the unit's manager, Karen Mitchell.
She was responding to Herald inquiries into an Auckland District Health Board paper which reveals follow-ups were "missed" for 20 women at the board's colposcopy service.
A colposcope is a magnifying instrument used to check abnormalities of the cervix.
The screening unit has been auditing colposcopy services and, because of problems last year at the Waitemata board, asked all 21 boards nationally to review their own services.
In May, Waitemata disclosed that 28 patients had not been followed up within recommended times after colposcopy or treatment.
It discovered this by doing a review called for by Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson during his inquiry into the case of a cervical cancer patient made to wait too long to be seen at North Shore Hospital's colposcopy clinic.
Improvements to the screening programme were introduced after the 2000 inquiry into the misreading of thousands of smears in Gisborne, which led to dozens of women developing cancer.
Ms Mitchell said none of the 20 Auckland board patients would have had cancer. They would have had high- or low-grade abnormalities and "would have been waiting outside the waiting times".
Women should be seen at a colposcopy clinic within four weeks of a high-grade abnormality being detected on a cervical smear, and within six months for a low-grade abnormality.
Dr David Knight, women's health clinical leader at the Auckland board, said more than 10 of the women had incomplete documentation; their records were reviewed and they were later discharged to their GP with no further action required. The rest were given follow-up appointments and had since received appropriate treatment.
Ms Mitchell refused to release specific findings from the reviews until they were given to boards next month but said they had thrown up areas which needed improvement.
Check-up delays
The number of women waiting too long for examinations after smears showing abnormalities has declined, but the National Screening Unit wants more improvement.
Nationally, in October, 57 women with high-grade abnormalities waited longer than the maximum four weeks set by the unit.
A year ago the figure was 48 just for the seven health boards north of Taupo.
