§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his talks with health authority chairmen have covered delays in screening cervical smears in pathology laboratories.
§ Mr. HayhoeOther more suitable mechanisms exist for setting service priorities and monitoring their achievement. As part of the normal process for setting service priorities health authorities will be asked to give priority to improving their cervical cancer screening programmes, including ensuring that laboratories can meet demand and avoid backlogs. Arrangements for monitoring the achievement of service priorities are an integral part of the NHS planning and accountability process. Whenever it proves necessary, this issue will be raised at annual Ministerial reviews of particular regional health authorities.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what details are available to his Department about health authorities or family practitioner committees which have issued instructions to doctors in clinics or family doctors, or both, to suspend, delay or reduce the taking of cervical smears because of a backlog in pathology laboratories.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe management of local cervical cancer screening programmes is the responsibility of district health authorities, who are best placed to judge the most effective response to local problems such as laboratory backlogs. They are not required to report their detailed operational decisions. However through the normal arrangements for setting service priorities all health authorities will be required to give priority to improving their programmes including ensuring that laboratories can meet demand and avoid backlogs.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate how many women will not be called for cervical cancer screening, under current arrangements, before 1993.
§ Mr. HayhoeAll women identifiable from family practitioner committee records as being at risk from cervical cancer should receive an invitation to be screened under the computerised call and recall arrangements which health authorities will be required to implement no later than March 1988.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy on the maximum interval between successive cervical cancer smears for women under 35 years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe recommended interval between routine cervical smears for all women who are or have been sexually active is five years. This is based on the advice of the independent expert Committee on Gynaecological Cytology which reviews regularly the available evidence on the screening interval.
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§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he proposes to collect, collate and publish information on delays by health authorities in dealing with cervical smears; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HayhoeNo. Delays in particular laboratories are primarily a matter for local management. However through the normal arrangements for setting service priorities, health authorities will be asked to ensure that laboratories can meet demand and avoid backlogs. Arrangements for monitoring the achievement of service priorities is an integral part of the NHS planning and accountability process.