Cervical Cancer (Hansard, 26 May 1988)

§ Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cervical smear tests had not been processed in the Leicestershire health district on 23rd May.

§ Mrs. Currie
This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may care to contact the chairman of Leicestershire health authority.

§ Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average delay in processing cervical smear tests in the Leicestershire health district on(a) 1 January 1987, (b) 1 October 1987, (c) 1 January 1988 and (d) 1 April 1988.

§ Mrs. Currie
This information has been collected centrally only since October 1987. The figures are as follows:

Date Average processing time

1 October 1987 Four weeks

1 January 1988 Seven weeks

1 April 1988 Eight weeks

I understand that the current position as on 23 May is that the average processing time is now four weeks. This meets the departmental guidance.

§ Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, how many women had cervical cancer smear tests in Leicestershire health district in each of the months January to December 1987, and for each month in 1988.

§ Mrs. Currie
This information is not collected centrally in the form requested. The latest centrally held figures are for the number of smear tests carried out in the calendar year 1986. This figure is 59,332 and includes some women who had more than one test.

§ Mr. Morley
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the latest figures for each district health authority with backlogs in cervical cancer smear testing of(a) over one month, (b) between one and two months and (c) two months and over.

§ Mrs. Currie
[holding answer 17 May 1988]: There are 190 district health authorities in England. Those reporting an average processing time for cervical smear tests of more than one month as at 1 May are listed. The average processing time is shown in weeks.

(a) Over one month but less than two (between 4.5 and 7.5 weeks)

Number

Durham 6

Gateshead 7

272W

Number

East Cumbria 6

Leeds Western 7

Leicestershire 7

North Lincolnshire 5

South Lincolnshre (part) 5

Bassetlaw 5

Rotherham 4.5

Great Yarmouth 5.5

Norwich 4.5

Peterborough 6.5

North Hertfordshire 6

Barnet 6

Southend 7

West Essex 7

Mid Essex 5.5

Hastings 6

Eastbourne 6

Tunbridge Wells 5

Greenwich 5.5

Lewisham and North Southwark 6

North West Surrey 7

Wycombe 7

Cheltenham 5

Cornwall (Mid and West) 5

Gloucester 6

Southmead 6

Somerset 6

Mid Staffordshire 7

North Staffordshire 5

South Warwickshire 4.5

Dudley 5.5

Walsall 5

Liverpool (part) 7

St. Helens and Knowsley (part) 6

Wirral 5

(b) Two months and over (eight weeks or more)

Number

North West Durham 10

Scunthorpe 8

Bradford 8

Airedale 8

South Derbyshire 9

Nottingham 9

Doncaster 8

South Bedfordshire 8

Merton and Sutton 9

Chichester 8

Croydon 9

Plymouth/Cornwall (East) 8

Warrington 8

Halton 8

Central Manchester 11

Date	Average processing time
1 October 1987	Four weeks
1 January 1988	Seven weeks
1 April 1988	Eight weeks

(a) Over one month but less than two (between 4.5 and 7.5 weeks)
	Number
Durham	6
Gateshead	7

	Number
East Cumbria	6
Leeds Western	7
Leicestershire	7
North Lincolnshire	5
South Lincolnshre (part)	5
Bassetlaw	5
Rotherham	4.5
Great Yarmouth	5.5
Norwich	4.5
Peterborough	6.5
North Hertfordshire	6
Barnet	6
Southend	7
West Essex	7
Mid Essex	5.5
Hastings	6
Eastbourne	6
Tunbridge Wells	5
Greenwich	5.5
Lewisham and North Southwark	6
North West Surrey	7
Wycombe	7
Cheltenham	5
Cornwall (Mid and West)	5
Gloucester	6
Southmead	6
Somerset	6
Mid Staffordshire	7
North Staffordshire	5
South Warwickshire	4.5
Dudley	5.5
Walsall	5
Liverpool (part)	7
St. Helens and Knowsley (part)	6
Wirral	5

(b) Two months and over (eight weeks or more)
	Number
North West Durham	10
Scunthorpe	8
Bradford	8
Airedale	8
South Derbyshire	9
Nottingham	9
Doncaster	8
South Bedfordshire	8
Merton and Sutton	9
Chichester	8
Croydon	9
Plymouth/Cornwall (East)	8
Warrington	8
Halton	8
Central Manchester	11