§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present number of recall forms at the central cervical cytology registry at Southport that have not been distributed or whose distribution is being seriously delayed; and when he expects the backlog to be cleared.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThere is no delay in the distribution of cervical cytology recall forms. Forms relating to women tested in 1977 and who are now due for recall have been sent out by the NHS central register. This leaves an estimated 9 million forms held at the central register in respect of cervical cytology tests performed in England and Wales between 1978 and 1981.
As I said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Silvester) on 21 December 1981 [Vol. 15, c. 297]—as from 1 April 1983 the recall of women for cervical screening is being transferred to health authorities. In accordance with these arrangements the forms held by central register will be sent to family practitioner committees to form the basis of local recall schemes. The first batches of forms are due to leave the central register during February 1983 and all forms with identifiable addresses will have been despatched to family practitioner committees by March 1984.