§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time taken for a patient to receive the results of their cervical smear test; and what percentage take longer than the recommended four weeks. [55208]
§ Mr. GalbraithFor the year ended 31 March 1998 the average reporting time for the results of cervical smear tests in Scotland was 17 days. Figures are collected only for the time from the date a smear test is received by the laboratory to the date the report is issued by the laboratory and does not therefore include the time it takes GPs, family planning clinics etc. to issue the results to patients once they receive them from the laboratory. For this reason, no information is available on the percentage of patients who take longer than 4 weeks to receive their results.