Mr. Bob Brownasked the Minister of Health what progress has been made towards providing all adult women with the opportunity for having regular cervical cancer tests.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThe latest returns I have are for the period ending 31st December, 1966, when tests were being taken at a rate of over 1,350,000 a year. This was an increase of more than 75 per cent. over December, 1965. Although the service has not developed evenly throughout the country, by the end of 1967 there should be few areas where the service has not been introduced.
Priority is at present given to women aged 35 years and over, as it is in this age group that the yield of prevention is likely to be greatest. Since 1st April, 1967, general practitioners have been entitled to a fee for examining well women in this group. I am considering whether the service can be extended generally or selectively to younger women, many of whom are already being examined in ante and post natal and Family Planning clinics. We have to be careful that any such extension is timed to match the resources available.
Mr. Bob Brownasked the Minister of Health what has been the response by women in seeking tests at local authority clinics for cervical cancer.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonAt the beginning of this year women were being screened at the rate of 31,933 a month at local authority clinics; this is over one-quarter of all the women who are screened.
Mr. Bob Brownasked the Minister of Health (1) how many technicians are available to read cervical test smears;
(2) how many technicians would now be needed to read cervical test smears in order to offer a full national coverage of all women at risk;
(3) how many technicians are being trained to undertake the reading of cervical test smears.
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§ Mr. K. RobinsonAt 31st December, 1966, 545 technicians were trained and available (whole-time or part-time) for reading cervical smears and 143 were in training. No precise estimate can be made of the number needed in order to offer national coverage; this would depend on the demand from women at risk, the geographical distribution of the technicians, and the proportion of their time occupied with other types of pathology laboratory work.
Mr. Bob Brownasked the Minister of Health how many women died from cervical cancer in 1964, 1965 and 1966.
§ Mr. K. Robinson
Deaths of women due to cancer of the cervix uteri (I.C.D.* No. 171): England and Wales 1964 to 1966 England and Wales 1964 … 2,577 1965 … 2,453 1966 (provisional) … 2,483 * International Classification of Diseases.