Andrology and accreditation - An opportunity for Cytologists

Accreditation of an Andrology service in the UK under ISO15189 has been perceived to be a difficult process and some laboratories have taken the decision to cease provision of the service. With the introduction of HPV testing as the primary cervical screening modality in the UK and the consequent reduction of the screening workforce, there is an opportunity for biomedical scientists and cytoscreeners to transfer their morphological skills to Andrology. This article describes a departmental transition to a fully accredited service in which cytology staff provide the majority of the workforce.