The guide is a visual educational tool developed by health professionals specialising in colposcopy and gynaecology. In response to local trust audit results and regional colposcopy data they suggest some primary health workers’ have little experience of recognising the signs and symptoms of invasive cancer of the cervix. Subsequently, a significant number of women are referred to oncology and colposcopy clinics with suspected cancer of the cervix in the absence of disease.
The aim of the guide is:
• to raise awareness of signs, symptoms and appearance of cervical cancer.
• to demonstrate the wide range of normal cervical appearances.
• to provide advice and referral guidance for the clinical management of women attending surgery with irregular vaginal bleeding within or out-with the cervical screening programme.
• to increase the accuracy of referral for women with suspected invasive cervical lesions.
• to improve the quality of care for women within and out-with the NHSCSP.
Alison worked with the Innovation Hub, based in the Trust’s Institute for Learning, Research and Innovation, who successfully bid for funding to progress the work Alison had started, from the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSNNENC) for some seed funding to take the project forward which has been two years in the making and, with the help of DySIS Medical Ltd, who helped source some of the images for the guide.
The guide was launched with a poster presentation at the British Society of Colposcopists and Cervical Pathology (BSCCP) annual conference in May 2017.
The guide has been endorsed by the North East Cervical Screening Service who states “This is an excellent tool to supplement learning and to support nurses and doctors working in all areas where cervical screening takes place.” Further information about the guide can be found at https://www.southteeslri.co.uk/available-products