§ Mr. HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide funding within the allocation for the breast screening service for self-referrals for women above the age of 65 years. [117634]
§ Yvette CooperFunding for the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme is included in health authority allocations and is not separately earmarked. The Forrest report, on which the programme is based, assumed that 10 per cent. of screens would be carried out on women who self-refer. In 1998–99, 88,119 women aged 65 and over were screened within the programme, representing 7.2 per cent. of all screens.
Women aged 65 and over are offered free three yearly screening on request. Women who have already participated in the programme are informed of this entitlement.
8W
§ Mr. DenhamThe Department recruitment, retention and vacancies survey showed 530 medical and dental whole-time equivalent vacancies (excluding training grades) in the hospital and community health services sector in England that had lasted three months or more.
There has only been one recruitment and vacancy survey carried out and there is no historic information available.