Women can be referred for more regular smear tests if required following colposcopy.
CervicalCheck currently uses three laboratories to analyse cervical screening tests, including those from women who have been referred for colposcopy and I am advised that there is no such differentiation between samples in the laboratory.
All of these laboratories meet CervicalCheck’s quality assurance guidelines and are certified by the relevant national authorities to an international standard. The laboratories have robust quality assurance and two screeners examine every test.
The clinical advice is that there is no evidence that the clinical and technical aspects of the programme have performed outside or below international standards or the quality guidelines set for the programme.
All aspects of CervicalCheck will be examined as part of the Scally Inquiry, the Terms of Reference of which are very comprehensive and reflect engagement on a cross-party basis. Separately, there will also be an International Clinical Expert Review led by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. These inquiries will ensure independent and international scrutiny of performance.
