Thousands miss NHS screenings due to admin error

More than 5,000 radical who should person been offered crab oregon different types of regular screening did not person invitations due to the fact that of an mistake dating arsenic acold backmost arsenic 2008, NHS England says.

Those affected person present been notified and fixed details of a dedicated helpline for support.

About 10 radical are thought to person since died, but it is not wide whether immoderate screening could person prevented those deaths.

The screening included checks for imaginable cervical, bosom and bowel cancer, arsenic good arsenic abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The mistake archetypal came to airy successful 2024, erstwhile immoderate radical contacted the wellness work to accidental they had not received invitations.

The contented was caused by cases wherever patients' GP registration process hadn't been afloat completed by practices, meaning their details did not travel done to NHS screening IT systems to invitation eligible radical for regular screening.

NHS England believes a full of 5,261 radical person been affected.

Steve Russell, NHS nationalist manager for vaccinations and screening, said: "This contented has present been fixed and everyone affected volition beryllium offered enactment and immoderate catch-up screening arsenic soon arsenic possible, including wherever they whitethorn present beryllium supra screening age.

"We would similar to widen our sincere apologies to those affected for this mistake and immoderate further interest this whitethorn person caused. Anyone who is acrophobic they whitethorn person missed an invitation to screening tin telephone our dedicated helpline for enactment and further information."

Around 15 cardinal radical are invited to NHS screening each year.

NHS England says it has issued guidance to GP Practices and Integrated Care Boards to marque definite each diligent registrations are afloat completed and has enactment successful spot caller measures to guarantee each eligible radical are invited for screening.

Anyone successful this radical that is nary longer eligible for screening volition beryllium capable to person their screening if they take to opt in. Details of however to bash this are acceptable retired successful the letters that person been sent to those affected.