Chapter 13: Diagnostic tests
Skip chapter table of contents and go to main content
Clinical governance
Healthcare professionals conducting cervical smears should be familiar with national guidance (NHSCSP [160]). Women should be offered the option of having a chaperone present and their decision should be documented (GMC 2013, NMC [165]). The chaperone may be a person of the patient's choice who will accompany them throughout the procedure.
When attending for cervical screening, women can raise a number of other issues and these might be private in nature. Healthcare professionals must be prepared to listen and provide support, including details of other sources of information local to them. The concerns raised should be recorded (RCN [204]). Women may also have questions regarding HPV, cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine, vaginal discharge or abnormal bleeding, menopausal symptoms, and sexual difficulties (RCN [204]).
Governance
Smear tests are often performed by doctors and nurses. Training for cervical sample takers is designed to support the education and training of competent practitioners (NHSCSP [160]). Training should reflect current trends, developments and understanding of the cervical screening process in light of new recommendations (RCN [201]).
Risk management
It is essential that women are informed that the likelihood of an inadequate test is about 1–2% for LBC and 9% for conventional cytology (NHSCSP [160]).
