AN AUDIT OF INADEQUATE CERVICAL CYTOLOGY IN A GENITOURINARY MEDICINE CLINIC

The taking of inadequate cervical cytological smears leads to patient anxiety, an increased burden on medical and laboratory staff and poten tially misses cervical abnormalities. It has been suggested that scree ning programmes should collect information about the proportion of sme ars considered unfit for diagnostic purposes(1). We present an audit o f the rate of inadequate smears in our unit and the factors contributi ng to their taking. The largest single factor in the taking of inadequ ate smears was the individual performing the test. Measures have been introduced to retrain these staff whilst an ongoing programme of train ing and evaluation has been implemented for all staff.