Health bosses in Bradford are appealing to women to make time for a vital health check after a worrying drop in the numbers having smear tests.

It is hoped to reverse the downward trend in cervical screening - which mirrors national figures - by encouraging more women to make use of family planning clinics. In these, a test does not need pre-booking and will be carried out by a female nurse.

Figures for Bradford City Teaching Primary Care Trust show that in February, 29 GP practices were failing to meet a target of 80 per cent of women being screened.

This is blamed on a fluctuating population living in the University ward and a lack of understanding or a fear of the test among women.

All women aged 20 to 65 should undergo cervical screening every five years. It involves a smear test to check healthy women for signs of cervical cancer.

Anne-Marie Taylor, lead nurse for the Family Planning and Sexual Health Service, said: "Many women are perfectly happy having the test done at their GP surgery but we know there are others who don't bother simply because of misunderstanding about the test itself or fears that a female doctor or nurse won't be available.

"Cervical screening is such an important health check for all women to have because it checks for early signs of cancer.

"The family planning clinics provide a comfortable environment for women to call in, get tested and find out about other services they may want to use."

Any women aged between 20 and 65 in Bradford City Teaching Primary Care Trust (tPCT), North Bradford PCT and Bradford South and West PCT can use the family planning clinics.

Women who either receive an invitation for screening or simply want to check if they need a test can visit one of the drop-in sessions for help and advice.

Posters and flyers advertising the clinics and opening times are being put up in doctors' waiting rooms and GPs themselves are being reminded to give their female patients the choice of an alternative service.

Staff at the clinics can carry out tests, check with patients' GPs when their last test was and explain how the screening process works.

About four weeks after the test, patients will receive a letter telling them the result - they do not have to contact the clinic or their GP.

If the test is all clear then patients will be invited to attend for screening in another five years.

In the rare case of an abnormality being found, patients will be referred straight to a special colposcopy clinic at hospital for further tests.