HC Deb 30 July 1997 vol 299 c381W
Mr. Peter Bottomley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) cervical smear tests were performed, (b) abnormalities were discovered and (c) colposcopies were performed at the end of the last three years; and what estimate he has made of the number of lives saved as a result. [10806]

Mr. Boateng

The available information for the years 1993–94 to 1995–96—the latest available—is given in the tables. The Department of Health does not collect figures on the number of colposcopies performed.

(a) Number of cervical smears examined by pathology laboratories in England
align="right">Thousands
1993–94 1994–95 1994–96
Number of cervical smears examined by pathology laboratories 4,477 4,505 4,593

Source:

Form KC61

(b) Number of abnormalities discovered
1993–94 1994–95 1995–96
Number of abnormal test results1 328 353 361

Notes:

1 Inadequate smears are excluded. Abnormal results are all tests which did not shown as negative.

The number of deaths from cervical cancer (England) fell from 1,532 in 1992 to 1,256 in 1995 (Source: Office for National Statistics).

Source:

Form KC61.