Cervical cancer screening scheme

Press, 22 December 1986, Page 35

Cervical cancer screening scheme

PA Wellington A pioneer research project aimed at boosting the number of women regularly screened for cervical cancer is being set up in Oamaru. The Minister of Health, Dr Bassett, said he had approved a $56,500 grant from the recently established Primary Health Care Initiatives trust towards the three-year pilot project. If successful the pilot could be used as a model for the rest of New Zealand, he said. Headed by the Otago Medical School clinical lecturer in the department of general practice, Dr lan St George, the project would work through the town’s General Practitioners and use a computer recall system

to ensure that patients had regular cervical smear tests.

Dr St George said it was felt G.P.s would be more successful in persuading women to have regular smear tests than specially set-up clinics.

All of Oamaru’s doctors were expected to take part in the programme, which will start in February.

A small study using the practice of one well motivated G.P. had found that about 70 per cent of women between 20 and 60 years had had a smear test in the previous three years.

He said it was not known if all Oamaru women would be covered in the pilot project because not all might be registered with a doctor.