Are patients with abnormal cervical smears adequately managed?

The outcome was assessed for all 1062 women in Nottingham who had a first report of abnormal cervical cytology in 1981. Satisfactory follow up could be found for only 628 (59%) of them. For 275 (26%) one subsequent normal smear had been reported but no further follow up requested. For 43 (4%), no subsequent test, after the abnormal smear, had been requested by the patient's general practitioner. Thirty patients (3%), 22 of whom had been tested at a special clinic, had not responded to a request for follow up. Even after extensive efforts we could not find the outcome in the remaining 86 (8%) of the patients. Adequate follow up of patients with abnormal cervical cytology is not being achieved. Improvements in the records systems and some changes in procedure should be made to reduce this problem.