§ 2.47 p.m.
§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in providing testing facilities for cervical cancer; what increases there have been this year in the numbers of pathologists and technicians available; and what the general position is likely to be at the end of this year and the end of next year.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD CHAMPION)My Lords, returns from hospital authorities for June, 1966, showed that women were being tested for cervical cancer at a rate of 101,000 a month, or nearly one and a quarter million a year—a substantial increase over the 50,000 women a month tested in June, 1965. There were 290 pathologists and 457 technicians trained in cytology in post in June, 1966, compared with 251 pathologists and 270 technicians a year ago, and more technicians were in training. According to the Board's plans, laboratories serving well over half the population of women age 35 and over will be able to support a screening service by the end of this year, and by the end of next year only a very 286 few areas will be unable to provide a complete service for these symptomless women.
Having given that Answer, I should like to apologise to the House for the fact that figures for pathologists and technicians now given for June, 1965, vary from those given by me on November 2 last year. The figures given then unfortunately included a number of people who were not, in fact, in post at the time, but who were nearing completion of their training or were in line for training. Nevertheless, I am sure that noble Lords will be heartened by the very real increase in the number now in the service.
§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. Will he please tell his right honourable friend the Minister of Health that many of those people who are interested in this subject will be very encouraged by this progress report? But could he also ask his right honourable friend in view of the fact that many hospital budgets are very tight, whether some small, special, earmarked grants could be made to hospitals where this work is being held back for financial considerations?
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, I will, of course, convey the first part of my noble friend's suggestion to the Minister. On the second point, I am afraid that I have to repeat what I said in the debate last year: it is not the practice of the Government to make a special financial allocation, but rather to leave it to the Boards to decide how to allocate the funds at their disposal. At present, I cannot see that there is any likelihood of a change taking place in this regard.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, while some areas in the country have an adequate service, would my noble friend not agree that other areas are denied it because there are insufficient laboratory technicians? Could my noble friend say what method the Minister is adopting in order to increase the supply of them?
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, the very fact that the number of technicians has gone up substantially, as I mentioned in my original reply, indicates that the Minister has this matter very much in mind and is doing everything reasonably 287 possible in order to ensure that the number of technicians is increased. He has also made it quite clear that he would welcome back into this service married women who happen to have the necessary qualifications or qualifications which would provide a basis for further training.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, in order to emphasise this point, which I brought up two years ago, may I ask my noble friend whether something can be done—through advertising in medical journals or something of that kind—to ask women doctors who have some time to spare to be trained for this service? Although I asked this question two years ago, I have not since seen any advertisement anywhere asking for the services of these women for this special work.
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, I will bring the point made by my noble friend directly to the notice of the Minister of Health in order that he may consider the suggestion.
§ LORD NEWTONMy Lords, will the noble Lord agree that it is gratifying to find the noble Baroness, Lady Summerskill, still agitating in this cause?