450,000 women not sent invitations to take part in UK breast screening program
Public Health England (PHE) announced this week that, since 2009, approximately 450,000 women around the age of 70 were not sent invitations to participate in the United Kingdom's NHS breast screening program. The issue, caused by “a complex IT problem,” was identified in January.
Approximately 309,000 women impacted by the mistake are alive. PHE has invited them all to receive the screening. Radiologists, breast surgeons, oncologists and epidemiologists were all asked to help PHE develop a response to this issue.
“On behalf of NHS breast screening services, we apologize to the women affected and we are writing to them to offer a catch-up screening appointment,” Dr. Jenny Harries, PHE’s deputy medical director, said in a prepared statement. “They and their families’ wellbeing is our top priority and we are very sorry for these faults in the system.”
The Royal College of Radiologists (RGR) released a statement of its own on the issue.
“The RCR has great sympathy for those patients who have missed screening appointments as a result and may now be understandably concerned they could have undiagnosed cancer,” Dr. Caroline Rubin, vice president for clinical radiology at the RCR, said in the statement. “We have been reassured that PHE is doing everything it can to manage the situation and help trusts arrange catch up appointments for women who have been missed, as well as setting up support for affected patients.”
Rubin also noted that “this does mean breast screening units across the country may have to arrange additional appointments for thousands of missed patients, which will undoubtedly put even more strain on units that are already stretched to the limit due to staff shortages.”
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.