§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the results of the three human papilloma virus implementation pilots now being undertaken; and what progress is being made in the HPV primary screening trial being undertaken in Manchester. [123247]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe pilot of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing for women with mild or borderline cervical screening test results, along with liquid based cytology, began in April 2001 at three sites: Bristol, Newcastle, and Norfolk and Norwich. The independent evaluation report of the HPV arm of the pilot is due to be sent to the Department of Health at the end of September 2003, and will then undergo a peer review process. Implications of the report for the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme will be discussed by the United Kingdom National Screening Committee, who originally commissioned the pilot. Publication is expected in early 2004.
654WThe ARTISTIC trial (A randomised trial of human papilloma virus testing in primary cervical screening), which is led by Professor Henry Kitchener at Manchester University, is broadly on target to complete patient recruitment by the end of 2003. The main results will not be known until 2007–08, as it will take two years to reach the necessary number of patients and each patient then needs to be followed up for three years in order to evaluate the sensitivity and accuracy of the test.