Bipolar, schizophrenia and other psychoses: cervical screening (25 to 49 years)
Indicator
The percentage of women aged 25 or over and who have not attained the age of 50 with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses whose notes record that a cervical screening test has been performed in the preceding 3 years and 6 months.
Indicator type
General practice indicator for use outside the QOF.
Corresponding QOF indicator MH008 was retired from the QOF in 2019 as data showed average numbers of eligible patients per practice to be less than 20 per year.
This document does not represent formal NICE guidance. For a full list of NICE indicators, see our menu of indicators.
To find out how to use indicators and how we develop them, see our NICE indicator process guide.
Introduction
Psychosis is a common mental illness, with schizophrenia being the most common form of psychotic disorder in which a person's perception, thoughts, mood and behavior are significantly altered. Bipolar affective disorder is a condition characterised by episodes of mania (abnormally elevated mood or irritability and related symptoms with severe functional impairment or psychotic symptoms for 7 days or more) or hypomania (abnormally elevated mood or irritability and related symptoms with decreased or increased function for 4 days or more) and episodes of depressed mood. NHS Digital's Adult psychiatric morbidity survey in 2014 found prevalence of psychosis of around 0.7% of people in the UK, and 2% of people in the UK screened positive for bipolar affective disorder.
Rationale
Patients with serious mental health problems are at considerably increased risk of physical ill health, have poorer health outcomes and die 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population (NHS England 2014). This indicator supports participation in the UK national cervical screening programme for people with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses to improve health outcomes for this population and reduce health inequalities.
Source guidance
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Psychosis and schizophrenia in adults: prevention and management. NICE guideline CG178 (2014), recommendation 1.5.3.1
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Bipolar disorder: assessment and management. NICE guideline CG185 (2014, updated 2023), recommendation 1.2.10
See UK National Screening Committee policies.
Specification
Numerator: The number of patients in the denominator whose notes record that a cervical screening test has been performed in the preceding 3 years and 6 months.
Denominator: The number of women aged 25 or over and who have not attained the age of 50 with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses.
Calculation: (Numerator/denominator) * 100.
Exclusions: None.
Minimum population: The indicator would be appropriate to assess performance of collaborations or networks of GP practices serving populations of around 30,000 to 50,000.
ISBN: 978-1-4731-5793-4