HC Deb 07 February 2002 vol 379 cc1151-2W
Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide additional support to community pharmacists. [28304]

Ms Blears

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 24 January 2002,Official Report, column 1079W.

Cytoscreeners are medical laboratory scientific officers (MLSOs) or medical laboratory assistants (MLAs) possessing a suitable certificate in cervical cytology. It is not possible to disaggregrate them from other staff collected within the pathology grouping in the non-medical workforce census. In the table MLA cytoscreeners are included within total unqualified staff working in pathology. MLSO cytoscreeners are included within qualified staff working in pathology.

The number of hospital medical staff within the histopathology area of work is shown in the table.