WOMEN in York are bucking a national trend which has seen a worrying drop in numbers being screened for cervical cancer - according to local surgeries.

Cancer Research UK warned this week of an alarming fall in the number of women attending smear tests for the disease when invited to do so.

In 2005/6, only 69.4 per cent of women aged between 25 and 29 who were invited for screening turned up to their appointment.

That compared with almost 80 per cent the previous year.

There was a similar trend among women aged between 30 and 34.

But local doctors' surgeries contacted by The Press all reported above average take-up of screening, saying most women were turning up for appointments when asked to do so.

David Gill, practice manager for Priory Medical Group - which runs six practices in the York area - said: "As far as we are concerned, take-up in York is good.

"We have no evidence to support that there has been a fall in numbers, we find our take-up is as good as it ever was."

Jorvik Medical Practice, which has surgeries in Bishopthorpe Road and in Stonebow, also reported it had no problems with women turning up for smear tests.

In East Yorkshire, Pocklington Group Practice said it had a "very good take-up" of cervical screening.

But according to Cancer Research UK's findings, the national picture was very different.

Julia Patnick, director of NHS cancer screening programmes, said research had suggested some women were not getting screened because they feared the test would be embarrassing or painful. We are keen to understand why women today may be more embarrassed than perhaps ten or 20 years ago," she said.

"Another key issue could in fact be the effectiveness of the screening programme - a reduction in rates of cervical cancer means it is now a far less common disease so people don't tend to worry about it so much."

Since the national smear test programme was launched in 1988, cervical cancer deaths have fallen from 6,000 to 1,000 a year.