Last updated 19:39, Thursday, 13 March 2008

CANCER screening services across north Cumbria are among the best in the country, latest figures show.

Carlisle MP Eric Martlew obtained the data on behalf of Cancer Research UK, as part of the charity’s national Screening Matters campaign.

It shows that the number of women attending breast and cervical cancer screening in the north of the county is above the national average.

Cancer Research has been lobbying MPs across the country to fight for further improvements to these services.

As part of the campaign it is trying to determine which areas are performing well and which areas are struggling.

Mr Martlew wrote to Cumbria Primary Care Trust (PCT) on their behalf to obtain the latest local statistics.

In terms of cervical screening, women aged 25 to 49 are invited for a smear test by their GP every three years, and 50 to 64 year olds every five.

As of March 2007, 82 per cent of eligible women in Cumbria as a whole were attending. This is higher than the national target of 80 per cent and above the average of 79 per cent.

Breast cancer services in the north of the county were also above the national target of 70 per cent.

But figures for the south were much lower.

The uptake at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary and the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven, which recently received Government praise, stood at 72 per cent last year and is now even higher.

The PCT is also preparing to launch a new bowel cancer screening service at centres in Carlisle and Kendal.

This programme, which is due to start in 2008/09, will be open to all Cumbrian men and women aged between 60 and 69.

They will be automatically invited to one of the centres every two years, while those over 70 can opt in on request.

There are also plans to expand the breast cancer screening by increasing the age range for regular tests.

Soon all women aged 47 to 73 will be invited for routine mammograms.