As you may be aware, a message has been sent out to say that Cervical Screening London (CSL) will be processing fewer cervical screening samples over the next couple of weeks due to a short-term shortage in the supply of reagents for the testing process.
CSL has been informed by the supplier that stocks will become available again the w/c 5th October 2020 and are working with them to minimise any risk of this happening again.
Please continue to take cervical screening samples and send them to the laboratory as you would normally.
On receipt, the samples will be stored in a suitable environment until they can be processed and the results will not be affected.
We advise that when taking samples, you inform your patient that results may take a little longer and that they should contact you in the practice if they’ve not received anything within 6 weeks.
Please also reassure people that this is unlikely to cause or increase the risk of clinical harm to them and that cervical cancer takes many years to develop in most cases.