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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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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:

Someone is diagnosed with cervical cancer every three hours in the UK, and it kills three women every single day.

Smear tests save thousands of lives every year, so this recent drop in uptake is extremely worrying.

It's vital to increase public awareness and make it easier for women to book their tests, including outside normal working hours, because it can be tough getting to your local surgery if you're working, commuting or have to pick your children up after school.

– Liz Kendall

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