§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by regional health authority, the family practitioner committees that do not issue the Health554W Education Authority's leaflet, "The Cervical Smear Test, Why You Need It", to accompany the invitation letter sent to women for a National Health Service cervical cytology screening.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThis information is not held centrally.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by regional health authority, the percentage of women who did not attend for a cervical cytology screening when invited for the last year for which he has figures, under the categories(a) inaccessability, (b) ineligibility, (c) unsuitable, (d) failed communication, (e) incorrect classification and (f) refused to attend.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyAlthough the information will not be available in exactly the form requested, it is hoped shortly to be able to give information about women screened in 1988–wing the introduction of a new cancer screening return from April 1988.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to reduce the interval time between cervical cytology screening to three years for all women.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyWe have recommended to health authorities a maximum interval of five years between tests, which we know can reduce deaths among women screened by more than 80 per cent. We know that the majority of women who die from cervical cancer have never had a smear test. We therefore believe that it is more important to achieve as a first priority a high response rate from all women in the eligible age group rather than aim to reduce the interval between screening. The recommended recall interval is kept under review.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by regional health authority, those district health authorities that do not send notification to women who have had a cervical cytology screening, when the results are negative.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThis information is not held centrally.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by regional health authority, those district health authorities that do not offer cervical cytology screening at the age range recommended by his Department; and if he will show in his answer the age range applied by each such district health authority.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyWe have asked district health authorities to invite all women aged 20 to 64 for cervical cancer screening by March 1993, unless their general practitioner has indicated that they should be excluded. We do not have information on the age ranges currently being invited in each district health authority.