§ 18. Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to amend the regulations governing the remuneration of general practitioners undertaking screening for cervical cancer.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNo. We particularly encourage general medical practitioners to screen women most at risk from cervical cancer — those over 35 and those who have been pregnant on three or more occasions. They receive a specific fee when they do this. This fee is just one of a number of fees and allowances, including capitation fees, which general medical practitioners receive.
The total contract provides general practitioners with an income and reimburses their practice expenses for providing all general medical services, including all cervical cytology testing, to their NHS patients. We are therefore quite satisfied that general practitioners are adequately remunerated for all the requirements of good up-to-date medical practice, including the screening of all women at risk.
§ 31. Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking to ensure that a proposed call and recall system for cervical cancer screening linked to a national computer, is introduced in Bradford.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe have instructed all health authorities to introduce effective cervical cancer screening programmes. We will shortly be asking all authorities to check the effectiveness of their particular programmes.
§ 200. Mr. Evennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received any representations from (i) scientific research organisations, or (ii) women's health organisations concerning the possible links between the use of oral contraceptives and cervical cancer.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe have received no recent representations on this subject. Research findings on the question of a possible link between oral contraceptives and cancer are kept under constant review by the Committee on Safety of Medicines.