Events on 28 September 2023

In the US, the death rate from drug overdoses more than tripled between 1999 and 2017, this was driven by increase use of opioids. This opioid epidemic had three phases: the first was dominated by prescription opioids such as oxycodone, the second by heroin, and the third by cheaper but more potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

Despite a few outbreaks of synthetic opioids (such as fentanyl analogues) causing death is particular geographic areas, the UK has not faced the same epidemic as the US. However, over the past 2-3 years the UK has seen an increase in the detection of 2-benzyl benzimidazole (‘nitazene’) type opioids. These are found mixed with heroin or purchased online, typically sold as oxycodone. This talk will give a brief overview of novel opioids, discuss the potential for harm and highlight the analytical strategies to develop validated assays to detect and measure both novel opioids and other novel psychoactive substances.

Development of a new EQA programme

The session will provide an overview of the Histopathology Reporting qualifications outlining the success so far and then will focus on the two new limited scope Reporting qualifications. It will provide guidance on the eligibility criteria for these qualifications, the portfolio requirements and the support needed by candidates from colleagues in order to undertake the qualification.

Digital cervical cytology: The Monklands experience

Perspectives on the Borderline Endocervical Cell Classification

Benign glandular histology as potential for BLEC

Update on endocervical adencarcinomas

The management of low grade smear abnormalities has posed problems for over 30 years and these will be described in some detail leading on to the most recent difficulty caused by the HPV Triage Pathway in the Cervical Screening Programme. The concept of HPV Entrapment Syndrome will be introduced and management strategies to deal with this difficult problem will be discussed. As well as explaining what HPV Entrapment means, there will be a detailed case presentation of a typical patient followed by a review of some of the numerous smear abnormalities that prevented her from leaving the Triage Programme.

Role of MDT – Clinical Perspective; Colposcopy for patients with learning difficulties

From earlier work that I had done in a sexual health setting, I identified that there were barriers for women with a learning disability attending for cervical screening. I was invited to talk to a group of women about cervical screening as part of an initiative called 'The Josephine Project'. Josephine is an anatomically correct cloth doll which is used for health promotion purposes - she has body parts which can be detached and has a 'space' in her head where women can put ideas on paper. Within a mock up clinic, Josephine, along with her friends (the women in the group), attended the sexual health clinic to have a cervical sample taken. This work was very successful and led to several women taking up the offer of screening.

Myself and Jilly realised that as Nurse Colposcopists this work could be translated into a secondary care setting and so Josephine was invited to the colposcopy clinic following an abnormal cervical screening result. This presentation discusses some of the barriers for the women with a learning disability and how 'Josephine' came to life to help and support some of those women.