NHS Halton and St Helens says smear test waiting times are at record low

May 10 2011 Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

WAITING times for smear test results have been reduced to a record low in Halton with no women now waiting more than a fortnight.

Women previously had to wait several weeks for results but a more efficient processing system has drastically slashed their anxious wait.

Of the 20 women who develop cervical cancer on average every year more than half failed to have a smear test when they were due for one.

NHS Halton and St Helens says cervical cancer can be prevented by a smear test or vaccinations, and 5,000 lives are saved each year due to screening, which takes only three minutes.

Women who smoke are more prone to having cervical cancer than women who do not smoke.

Other factors which could increase a woman’s risk of cervical cancer are taking the pill and having a large number of children.

Public Health Consultant, Daniel Seddon said: “Most women attend regularly for smear tests, but about one in five women don’t.

“Younger women in Halton and in St Helens, between 25 and 34-years-old, are less likely to get a smear test now than a few years ago.”

Women aged between 25 and 49 are invited every three years for a screening and women aged from 50 to 64 are invited every five years.

Screenings can be performed in GP surgeries, GUM clinics, Well Woman Clinics or a family planning clinics.

For further information should visit: www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk.