HC Deb 21 February 1990 vol 167 c842W
Mr. Robin Cook

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average waiting time for the results of a cervical smear test.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Information is not available in the form requested. Health authorities must aim to return the results of cervical smear tests to the doctor who undertook them within one month. As at December 1989, the latest available date, around 80 per cent. of health authorities were meeting this target. The average processing time of those districts which were failing to meet this target was 6.2 weeks.