Renewal of the National Cervical Screening Program
Partner Reference Group E-newsletter – December 2015
Dear Partner
It has been a very busy 2015 for everyone involved in cervical screening and I hope that
you are able to share some time with family and friends throughout the upcoming holiday
season.
Since our last newsletter in September 2015, the SCRIP members and working groups
have been busy progressing numerous concurrent activities and it is anticipated that key
documents will be available for information or consultation in the first quarter of 2016 to
assist your transition to the new program on 1 May 2017. My apologies in advance for the
length of this newsletter but it reflects the volume of work that is being coordinated by the
Cervical Renewal Taskforce.
Clinical Management Guidelines
In late June 2015, Cancer Council Australia was engaged to develop Clinical Management
Guidelines for the renewed National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP). The Clinical
Management Guidelines Working Party, chaired by Professor Ian Hammond, has met
twice since it was established and the evidence review and modelling evaluation has been
undertaken. A total of 18 clinical questions are being addressed. The Working Party next
meet in January 2016 to discuss the final draft recommendations and a public consultation
process is anticipated to occur in February 2016. Partner Reference Group members will be
advised by email of the consultation dates and process.
National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council Standards
A technical drafting committee chaired by Associate Professor Paul McKenzie, has been
established to draft the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council performance
measures and standards for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and cervical cytology.
The Cervical Screening Drafting Committee has met twice since it was established and it is
anticipated a draft document will be released for public consultation in the first half of
2016. Partner Reference Group members will be advised by email the exact dates for the
consultation process when they have been confirmed.
Workforce and Practice Change
Pathology Workforce
Recognising the impact upon cytologists of the changes to the NCSP, the Australian
Government has committed resources to providing support for the pathology workforce
and has appointed the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia to manage a Pathology
Workforce Change Project to:
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Develop and deliver online liquid based cytology training to complement existing
training resources;
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Work with the Australian Society of Cytology to ensure appropriate educational
resources for diagnostic liquid based gynaecological cytology are available to new
cytologists;
Provide support for existing cytologists through the provision of a Transition Services
and Support resources to complement employer-based programs; and
Undertake regular communication activities to inform the pathology workforce of the
changes to the NCSP.
Progress to date has included:
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The convening of the Pathology Workforce Change Steering Committee, which met for
the first time in mid-November 2015. The steering committee has representation
from all sectors of the cytology workforce and will provide guidance and support to
the Project Management Team in delivering the required workforce changes.
Ms Gillian Phillips, Project Officer, RCPA will be contacting laboratories around
Australia as a priority to determine the nature and extend of the workforce support
resources that are needed.
A website is currently under construction for release in early 2016, which will
provide information and resources for cytologists and cytopathologists affected by
the Renewal.
If you would like further information on the Pathology Workforce Change Project, please
contact Ms Gillian Phillips from the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia via email
gillianp@rcpa.edu.au
Online and practical training for health professionals
A request for tender (RFT) for online and practical training products was released to select
organisations in early December 2015. The purpose of this RFT is to develop online and
practical training products for the training and continuing professional development of
health professionals to support the implementation of the renewed NCSP. The RFT will
close on the 5 February 2016.
Medical Benefits Schedule Items
The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) descriptors and fees for the new cervical screening
items will be considered by the Pathology Clinical Committee (PCC) in early 2016. The
PCC has been established to support the MBS Taskforce. The role of the PCC is to
undertake a review of the Pathology Services Table of the MBS to ensure that the services
it supports and the rules that underpin its operation are contemporary, reflect current
clinical practice and support access to health services that improve health outcomes. PCC
membership is multi-disciplinary and comprises a mix of pathologists and specialist
clinicians, general practitioners and consumers and is chaired by Associate Professor Peter
Stewart, immediate past President of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.
It is anticipated that the MBS item descriptors and associated fees for the NCSP will be
released publicly in mid-2016.
Communications and Information
Communications Strategy
A communications strategy is currently being drafted in consultation with states and
territories cervical screening programs for the transition to the renewed NCSP.
The primary target audience for the communication strategy includes:
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women aged from 25 to 74 years, including women from culturally and linguistically
diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds; and
clinicians, including GPs, community health professionals, Aboriginal medical services
and state and territory health organisations.
NPS Medicine Wise RADAR Publication
NPS MedicineWise developed a special edition on the Medical Services Advisory
Committee recommendations for the Renewal of NCSP in their publication, RADAR. A
companion piece to the RADAR, Medicine Update, was also developed to inform
consumers about the changes to the NCSP from 1 May 2017. This special edition was
published on 1 October 2015.
Focus testing of possible names for the HPV test
The Department has commenced the process of engaging a market researcher to undertake
consumer focus testing of possible names for the primary HPV test for program marketing
purposes. Further information will be provided as the project progresses.
National Cancer Screening Register
The Australian Government released a Request for Tender (RFT) for the National Cancer
Screening Register (NCSR) on 10 August 2015. The RFT closed on 8 October 2015 and
the Tender Evaluation Process is underway at the time of writing.
Legislation
The NCSR legislation has been included in the 2016 Autumn legislation programme
(February to March 2016). It will govern the collection, access to and disclosure of
information to the NCSR and will comply with the Privacy Act 1988 including provisions
for handling personal and identifying information held in the Register.
The NCSR legislation will also establish the NCSR to facilitate invitation and recall of
women to encourage participation in the renewed NCSP. It will include provisions to
allow individuals to opt off and defer or suspend participation in the program, as well as
request that their information not be disclosed for certain purposes. It will also provide
authorisation to state and territory governments that can enable data migration from the
existing registers.
Cervical Renewal Taskforce
Special thanks to Dr Tracey Bessell and her team for their enormous effort to keep this
project on track. Despite many challenges and the complexity of the many interdependent
pieces of work, they continue to achieve their goals and manage to keep smiling.
More information
Further information on the Renewal can be found at cancerscreening.gov.au and you are
welcome to contact us at CervicalRenewal@health.gov.au if you have any queries.
The newsletter’s aim is to update our Partners regarding the progress of the Renewal. If
you do not wish to receive the E-newsletter, please let us know and we will remove you
from our mailing list. You are welcome to share this information with your colleagues.
On behalf of the SCRIP members and the Renewal Secretariat, I wish you all a Merry
Christmas and a Happy and healthy New Year.
Professor Ian Hammond
Chair, Steering Committee for the Renewal Implementation Committee
National Cervical Screening Program
Department of Health Australia