§ Ms PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when the pilot projects to assess the impact of extending routine breast screening to older women were set up; and for what reason the age limit was extended only to women aged up to 69 years. [89365]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department is funding three pilot projects set up to assess the impact of extending routine breast screening to older women. The Brighton pilot was set up in May 1996 and will finish later this year. The project in Nottingham started in February 1997 and the one in Leeds/Wakefield started in June 1997. They will complete in 2000.
There is growing evidence to suggest that an increasing number of women aged up to 69 would accept routine invitations to screening. This evidence weakens for women over the age of 70 and from the age of 74 is non-existent. A woman can ask to be screened every three years in the same way as women aged 50–64.