Comparison of uptake of breast screening, cervical screening, and childhood immunisation

摘要

The national breast screening programme invites women aged 50-64 to have mammography every three years, by using the lists of the family health services authorities and health boards to provide a call and recall system. Breast screening centres ask general practitioners to check previous notification lists, encourage attendance, provide practical advice, allay fears, and, with non-attenders, discuss breast screening. Despite the additional workload that promoting a high uptake entails no financial incentive is paid to general practitioners. Cervical screening and childhood immunisation are largely managed and delivered by general practitioners and primary care teams, although some practices also use a central call and recall system. General practitioners receive target payments (payments for reaching certain levels of uptake) for cervical screening and childhood immunisation. Different methods of management and remuneration may influence levels of uptake of breast screening, cervical screening, and childhood immunisation, by influencing general practitioners' attitudes and sense of participation in these services. We compared the rates of uptake for the three services among general practitioners in Grampian, Scotland.