HC Deb 31 May 1965 vol 713 cc1156-7
30. Mrs. Joyce Butler

asked the Minister of Health if he will earmark for preventive medicine a percentage of the block grant made to regional hospital boards.

Mr. K. Robinson

I think it is preferable for the responsible hospital authorities to settle their own priorities We do, of course, continue to give guidance.

Mrs. Butler

Will my right hon. Friend look at this suggestion again in view of the fact that some areas are falling behind in the provision of cervical cancer screening services and other preventive procedures? Would not this be a helpful way of bringing these areas into line with more progressive hospital boards?

Mr. Robinson

We are doing our best to encourage the development of this service, but I think that it would be a departure, and a very serious departure, from our normal practice if we were to give earmarked grants to hospital authorities for particular purposes. In general, I think that the campaign to develop cervical screening facilities and provide a routine service is making very good progress. If my hon. Friend has any particular region in mind where progress is not good, no doubt she will put down a Question to me.

Mr. Pavitt

Will my right hon. Friend give attention to the possibility of giving a lead to all three sectors of the Health Service in relation to the prevention of cervical cancer by exfoliative cytology? Is he aware that there are at present a number of initiatives being taken both by local health authorities and hospitals which certainly do not always coincide?

Mr. Robinson

I am very anxious that we should have proper co-ordination here, but, undoubtedly, the first thing to do in order to get the service established is to see that we have the trained technicians and pathologists in cytology, and we are pressing ahead with that.

Mr. Alan Williams

Is my right hon. Friend aware that, even if he has the technicians, much of their time will be wasted unless there is a streamlining of the processing of the slides which are used in these test centres? Might not this be a useful focal point for some research by his Department?

Mr. Robinson

A great deal of research is going on into various ways by which a more efficient analysis of slides can be undertaken, but we are not yet satisfied that any of the short cuts, so to speak, are sufficiently reliable to deter us from going ahead with the training of technicians.