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Dept of Health

Answer

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of UK women participated in the National PAP Screening Programme, broken down by age groups (a) under 30, (b) 31 to 49, (c) 50 to 59 and (d) 60 to 64 years, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [72501] Ms Blears: [holding answer 23 July 2002]: The national computerised call/recall system for cervical screening was introduced in 1988. Women aged 20 to 64 are invited for a free cervical screening test every three to five years. Women over 65 are invited if their previous two tests were not clear or if they have never been screened. The coverage of the screening programme is defined as the proportion of women aged 25-64, excluding those "recall ceased" for clinical reasons, who have had a test with a result at least once in the previous five years. The national target across the age range is 80 per cent. The information requested is shown in the table. Women screened by the NHS Cervical Screening Programme 1997-2001, England _________________________________________________________________________________________________. England percentage Age at 31 March 19971 19982 19992 20002 20012 under 303 80.2 80.4 79.6 78.6 77.0 30-49 86.5 86.4 86.1 85.7 84.9 50-59 85.2 83.9 84.3 84.3 83.9 60-64 78.4 76.7 77.3 77.6 77.6 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Source: Department of Health Statistics Division 3G: Return 1 Based on resident population less recall 2 Based on resident population less recall ceased for clinical 3 As women may be first called at any age between 20 and the coverage is calculated on women aged 25-

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

390 c372W; 72501

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Cervical cancer Cancer Screening

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk