Written question asked by Baroness Teather (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 9 October 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 11 October 2007. It was answered by Ann Keen (Labour) on Friday, 19 October 2007 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for a patient to be seen at a London Breast Screening Unit after referral by a GP.

Answer: The information requested is not held centrally.The national health service breast screening programme is operated from local breast screening units, who send invitations to eligible women directly. If abnormalities are found on a woman's mammogram, an appointment at the local assessment clinic is made automatically by the local breast screening unit. General practitioners are not an integral part of the programme, but are kept fully informed of their patients' progress through the programme by being copied into results letters.

Secondary information