Cervical Cancer Screening

HC Deb 17 November 1986 vol 105 cc298-9

7. Mr Harvey

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what funds he has made available for cervical cancer screening in the current financial year.

18. Mr. Grist

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he proposes to improve the cervical cytology service in Wales.

Mr. Mark Robinson

Some £400,000 per annum has been allocated for use by district health authorities to implement the recommendations of the joint Welsh Office—NHS working party.

Mr. Harvey

I am sure that both sides of the House will welcome that dramatic increase in spending. Can my hon. Friend confirm that the Welsh Office funding will be sufficient for local health authorities to set up this service?

Mr. Robinson

Yes, I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. The announcement made on 28 October enabled the Welsh Office to meet in full the capital bids of the district health authorities, and, for future years, to contribute towards the running costs of the service.

Mr. Grist

Will the family practitioner service be able to receive funding for computer services?

Mr. Robinson

In addition to the £400,000 per annum that has been allocated to the district health authorities, the Welsh Office is bearing the capital costs of providing computer facilities for family practitioner committees. Those facilities will handle the call and recall systems for cervical cancer screening. More than £750,000 is being provided for computerisation over the three years to 1987–88.

Mr. Coleman

I declare an interest as parliamentary adviser to the Institute of Medical Laboratory Scientists. Will the hon. Gentlemen bear in mind that the most important factor in screening for cervical cytology is the employment of adequate numbers of scientists to examine the specimens and slides involved? Will he make sure that adequate finance is available to ensure that a sufficient number of technicians is available to do that work?

Mr. Robinson

We believe that adequate resources are available, and we continue to keep the position under review. I can tell the hon. Gentleman that the waiting time for results is now down to an average 24 days throughout Wales.

Mrs. Clwyd

My information is that the number of bids is equal to four times the amount of money available for cervical cancer screening. Is the hon Gentleman aware that laboratory workers are having to skimp on the time that they spend studying smears? Instead of looking at a slide for 10 minutes, as they are supposed to do, they study only a small section of it in many cases because of the pressure of work. Can the hon. Gentleman assure all women who might be at risk, or who are applying for tests, that he has no fear about quality control and that there are adequate resources available?

Mr. Robinson

The additional funding that we have announced is precisely designed to improve the existing service. I am sure that the hon. Lady will welcome that. I am not entirely sure where she gets her figures from, but I can confirm that the capital bids put forward by family practitioner committees have been met in full.

Mr. Ron Davies

Can the Minister tell us by what date a fully computerised system of recall will be operating in Wales?

Mr. Robinson

That depends on the family practitioner committees. Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Powys and South Glamorgan are already computerised. The completion of a computerised system for Mid and West Glamorgan is expected in 1986–87, with Gwynedd shortly after that.