Faulty smear tests spark mass recall in UK

Nearly 1,000 British women have been urgently recalled for repeat cervical smear tests because of faulty screening dating back 20 years, it emerged today.

National Health Service (NHS) bosses ordered the second screenings after checks revealed problems with tests carried out at Gildersome Health Centre in South Leeds.

A total of 968 women who had smear tests at the centre have already received a letter from NHS Leeds asking them to attend one of many special clinics set up to deal with the mass recall.

An investigation is already underway that will review back to 1988 when the national cervical screening programme began in the UK. Officials have ruled out problems with laboratory analysis of samples, prompting speculation that problems might have occurred when smear tests were taken.

Dr Ian Cameron, Director of Public Health for NHS Leeds, said: “As part of our commitment to improving cervical screening services, we consistently check the quality of cervical smear tests taken in Leeds. On this occasion a review showed that some smear tests taken at Gildersome Health Centre may not have met our usual high standards.

“We believe it is our duty to ensure that the standards of care provided to women remain high. For this reason we have asked a proportion of women to come back for another test. This is a precautionary measure.

“We have contacted all of the women affected to ask them to make an appointment with us for another test. Only women contacted by us need a repeat smear test as part of this recall.

“We have taken immediate steps to ensure no other women are affected and we are now fully investigating the circumstances surrounding this recall. Women who have not had a smear test at Gildersome Health Centre do not need a repeat smear test as part of this recall.

“We realise that this may cause some concern and would like to reassure women that this recall affects only a very small proportion of women who come for a smear test each year in Leeds.”

NHS Leeds said in a statement that the findings of the investigation will be shared with the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority and may lead to future changes to avoid a recurrence of faulty smear tests.

A formal investigation was officially launched after problems were spotted following a review of data in January and the decision to recall women was made at the start of February.

A team of specialist doctors (colposcopists) has been established to deal with the patients needing a repeat smear and NHS Leeds said there are more than 500 new appointments available over the next two weeks.

Clinics will then continue to be held for a further six to eight weeks in response to demand from women and extra services have been put in place to get results back within three to four weeks.

NHS Leeds added that it has followed a “very comprehensive and stringent process” in dealing with the errors and would not elaborate on the exact problem with the 968 smear test results, saying only: “A review of cervical screening data from Gildersome Health Centre showed a pattern which could mean that some smear tests were not to our usual high standard.”