Joint Media Statement from the Ministry of Health's National Screening Unit and the Auckland District Health Board 17
May 2001
NSU And Auckland District Health Board Restate Commitment To Quality Health Services
The Ministry of Health's National Screening Unit and Auckland District Health Board restated their commitment to high
quality health services, at a meeting in Auckland today.
At the meeting Auckland DHB said it would forward a plan to the National Screening Unit outlining some options for the
DHB continuing to provide services to the NCSP after 1 July when the NCSP Operational Quality and Policy Standards come
into effect.
National Screening Unit Clinical Director Dr Julia Peters said the NSU welcomed the Auckland proposal and said it would
consider the plan.
Auckland DHB Chief Operating Officer Neil Woodhams said we regard it as extremely important to retain services in public
hospitals to provide continuity of care for patients. In addition the Auckland DHB Plan will outline how it will meet
the Interim Quality Standards including the staff requirements.
The NCSP Interim Standards were distributed to all 6,000 providers of services to the National Cervical Screening
Programme in October last year and were the product of careful analytical work and consultation with experts and health
providers.
"The Interim Standards were endorsed in the Report of the Gisborne Ministerial Inquiry released on April 10 with the
Inquiry Panel calling for the standards to be put in place within six months. "In the Panel's view these minimum
standards must be implemented," the Report says.
Dr Peters says there are several laboratories who currently provide cytology services to the NCSP who don't currently
process the minimum number. "We are still open to plans from hospital laboratories that outline how they intend to meet
the Standards from 1 July," she says. "A collaborative approach by hospital laboratories would mean a continued hospital
presence in the programme."
The Interim Standards provide a comprehensive set of policies and standards for all NCSP providers and is a key step in
the development of improved quality systems for the Programme. Within the document are 21 standards specifically for
Programme laboratories. From July 1 laboratories must read 15,000 slides a year, while primary screeners need to read
3,000 slides annually.
Ends