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Ministers blamed over rise in overdue smear tests
Ministers have been accused of failing to act on the rise in the number of women missing cancer screenings, said Labour. The Health and Social Care Information Centre found an 11% rise in the number of women who had missed checks for cervical cancer.
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Cervical cancer survivor describes fear at diagnosis
A 35-year-old woman who was two years overdue for a smear test has told Daybreak of the difficulties she faced when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer,
Samantha Kemp, who was 32 at the time of diagnosis, said doctors discovered "quite severe abnormal cells" and sent her in for an MRI, which revealed a tumour small enough "that it meant I did not have to have a hysterectomy".
"That for me that was my scariest point, was having that situation of not knowing if I could have children anymore."
'Disingenuous' to blame overdue smears on GP access
It is misleading to suggest the rise in overdue smear tests is the result of a lack of GP access, the Government has said.
A Department of Health spokeswoman claimed there had been a sharp rise in the number of women screened for cervical cancer in the wake of Jade Goody's death in 2009, and now, fewer were choosing to get screened:
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Labour: Rise in missed smear tests 'extremely worrying'
The 11% rise in the number of women who have failed to have a smear test is "extremely worrying", Labour have said.
Shadow health minister Liz Kendall said:
'Govt failing to act' over rise in missed smear tests
Labour has accused the Government for failing to act after figures showed an 11% rise in the number of women who had missed a vital cancer screening.
Around 3.7 million women were late with their smear test check up for cervical cancer last year, while only 364,000 missed them in 2009-10, according to data.
The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), who released the figures, said the working women bracket had the biggest increase in overdue smear tests.
More than a million aged in their 30s were overdue, up 11%, while numbers of 40-somethings rose 15% to 925,000 and in their 50s it was up 16% to 620,000.