Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

LOCAL HOSPITAL OFFERS REVOLUTIONARY

Spire Gatwick Park Hospital is set to offer a new vaccine to young girls that would protect them from most forms of cervical cancer..

The new treatment won’t be available with the NHS Trust till next year but has already been enthusiastically welcomed by doctors who believe it could save the lives of 1000's of women.

Every year 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in Britain and three women under 44 die every day from the disease.

The vaccine, which is administered in three doses and protects against the human papilloma virus (HPV), will reduce the incidence of genital warts by 90%, cervical cancer by 75%, other cancers of the genital tract and also of the oesophagus and some oropharyngeal cancers.

Doctor Tina, Peers, Consultant in Contraception and Sexual Health, has set up a new clinic at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital to administer the vaccine and provide advice to women and the parents of girls aged 12 and over. .

She said: “The benefits of this vaccine will be felt by women and their families for a long time. Although the government has recommended that the vaccine is available on the NHS for 11-12 year olds from next September there has been no announcement of a catch up programme so those girls aged between 13 and 24 who are most at risk will not receive treatment on the NHS.”

Anyone interested in getting the vaccine should contact Spire Gatwick Park Hospital on 0845 6035511


For more info or to interview the consultant involved, contact:

Simon Buttrum
Spire Gatwick Park Hospital
Tel: 01293778981
e-mail: buttrums@bupa.com

Notes to editors:

Spire Healthcare is one of the leading independent hospital providers in the UK, with a 25 year heritage of customer service and clinical excellence. It was formed this year from the sale of BUPA Hospitals to leading private equity company Cinven.

Spire Healthcare has 25 hospitals across the UK, providing services for private and insured patients as well as NHS funded patients under the government’s Choose and Book scheme. It also offers cosmetic and weight-loss surgery.

Its hospitals carry out more than 160,000 in-patient and day-case treatments a year and work with over 3,000 consultants. It is proud to be the 1st independent hospital group to publish clinical outcome data.