NCSP - Pathology Workforce Update
Newsletter of the National Cervical Screening Program Pathology Workforce Project
Welcome to the second issue of the NCSP
Pathology Workforce Update. This regular
Newsletter will continue to provide information,
resources and Project updates for Cytologists
throughout the Renewal of the National Cervical
Screening Program.
WORKFORCE SURVEY
The NCSP Pathology Workforce Project will provide
LBC training information and transition support
services and resources for those in the pathology
workforce who may be affected by the forthcoming
changes to the National Cervical Screening Program.
THE NEW NATIONAL CERVICAL SCREENING
PROGRAM AND THE NCSP PATHOLOGY
WORKFORCE PROJECT
To ensure efficient use of limited resources the
RCPA surveyed laboratories regarding their
particular situation and needs to determine how to
tailor Project services and resources to best effect.
The Australian Government has undertaken to
change the National Cervical Screening Program
(NCSP) and replace the two-yearly Pap test with fiveyearly primary HPV tests. This change is scheduled
to take effect from 1 May 2017.
During December and January the Project Team
received survey responses from 36 of the 37
Australian laboratories which were currently
performing cervical screening. In summary, the
results showed:
Recognising the impact upon cytologists of these
changes to the NCSP, the Australian Government
has committed resources to providing support for the
pathology workforce, to be delivered by the RCPA
NCSP Pathology Workforce Project..
•
•
•
RECENT NCSP PATHOLOGY WORKFORCE
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
•
•
•
Steering Committee – the Pathology Workforce
Change Steering Committee continues to
provide active guidance and support to the
Project. The Committee is now reviewing the
data collected from our recent survey of all
Australian laboratories currently performing
cervical screening.
Contacting laboratories - the Project Officer
has contacted and surveyed all Australian
laboratories currently performing cervical
screening (see Survey Results in this
Newsletter).
Website – The RCPA website has a dedicated
section for this Project providing information and
resources for cytologists potentially affected by
changes to the NCSP at www.rcpa.edu.au under
the Health Professionals section, or click on
NCSP Workforce
•
•
•
There are approximately 466 scientists or
cytotechnologists working either full-time or parttime in cervical screening.
All but one laboratory uses liquid based cytology
in cervical screening.
Approximately half of the laboratories have
sufficient in-house LBC teaching resources to
facilitate training inexperienced cytologists
Most laboratories expect a reduction in the
gynaecological cytology workload with the new
NCSP
Staffing changes expected by laboratories vary
depending
on
individual
circumstances;
predicted responses to the Renewal of the
NCSP include “no change”, “redeployment” and
“redundancies” .
Planning for organisational and staff changes is
in the early stages as most laboratories are
awaiting further details about the new NCSP.
The responses received will be used to assist with
developing and delivering targeted resources to
support cytologists. The Project Team would like to
sincerely thank the respondents for contributing to
the survey.
Issue 2 | March 2016
Page 1
NCSP - Patho
ology Workfo
W
orce Up
pdate
Newsletter of the National Cervical
C
Scree
ening Program
m Pathology Workforce
W
Pro
oject
NCSP NEWS
S
anagement guidelines
g
now
n
availab
ble
Clinical ma
for public co
omment
Cancer Coun
ncil Australia has been co
ommissioned by
the Departm
ment of He
ealth to de
evelop Cliniccal
Management Guideliness for the Prevention of
ncer. The new
w Guidelines will superse
ede
Cervical Can
the 2005 N
National Heallth and Med
dical Researrch
Council Scrreening to Prevent Ce
ervical Canccer:
Guidelines ffor the Management of Asymptoma
atic
Women with Screen Dete
ected Abnorm
malities.
NCSP Partnerr Reference Group
he Department of Heaalth maintain
ns a Partne
er
Th
Reference Grroup newsleetter to update Partnerss
egarding the progress
p
of thhe Renewal of the NCSP
P.
re
To
o join the mailing
m
list foor this public
cation, please
e
co
ontact the Cervical
C
Reneewal Taskforrce via email
CervicalRenew
wal@health.ggov.au
uidelines werre released on
o 15 Februa
ary
The draft Gu
and will be available fo
or public co
onsultation a
and
ntil 15 March 2016.
comment un
The Draft Gu
uidelines can be accessed
d at:
Guidelines.
(Or copy to yyour browser:
wiki.cancer.o
org.au/australlia/Guidelines
s:Cervical_ca
an
cer/Preventio
on)
This is a valu
uable opportu
unity for stake
eholders to
provide feedb
back.
NPAAC Cerv
rvical Screen
ning Drafting
g Committee
e
The Nation
nal Patholog
gy Accredita
ation Adviso
ory
Council (NPAAC) Cerrvical Scree
ening Draftiing
Committee is currentlyy developing
g accreditatiion
standards fo
or cervical screening, including HP
PV
testing, whicch will form part of the renewal of tthe
National Cerv
rvical Screening Program.
The draft N
NPAAC stan
ndards are scheduled ffor
release late
er this year and the Committee
C
h
has
provided advvance notice to the Austra
alian Societyy of
Cytology th
hat one of the require
ements und
der
discussion is the qualiffications for technical sttaff
ervical cytolo
ogy. For furth
her informatiion
examining ce
refer to ASC News .
G THE NCSP
P PATHOLOG
GY
CONTACTING
WORKFORCE
W
E PROJECT TEAM
An important part
p of the NC
CSP Pathology Workforce
e
Prroject is to provide cytoologists with
h up to date
e
information of the Renewa
wal of the NC
CSP and the
e
esources available during the transition
n period. The
e
re
Prroject Team are very inteerested to he
ear from both
h
laboratories and
a
individuaal cytologists about the
e
im
mpact the plan
nned changees will have.
Fo
or information
n and to provvide input, please contacct
Gillian Phillips, Project Officcer, at RCPA::
mobile
m
+ 61 4 4779 7195
em
mail gillianp
p@rcpa.edu..au
sw
witch +61 2 8356 5858
fa
ax +61 2 8356
6 5828 |
website www.rrcpa.edu.au
Issue 2 | March 2016
Page 2