You may have heard that a small minority of people have not been invited to screening appointments because of an error in how GP offices have registered them.
This issue affects screening invitations for bowel cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and abdominal aortic aneuryism screening. Other screening programmes have not been impacted.
Since this issue was spotted, we have worked with NHS England to quickly resolve the underlying issue and put a plan in place for those affected.
From this week, everyone affected by this issue will receive a letter with more information on how to access their missed screening and the support that available for those affected.
We understand this may be unsettling news, and that you may have some questions. We hope this post helps answer some of those questions.
Have I or someone I know been affected?
NHS England has now identified all of the people that have been affected by this issue and their addresses.
Anyone that has been affected will receive a letter from the NHS, which will include information on how to book a missed screening appointment or access the relevant services.
If you have any concerns about this issue, NHS England’s dedicated helpline is available Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm at 0345 877 8962.
I haven’t received a letter, but I think I have missed an invitation?
Everyone who has been affected will be contacted via letter by the end of next week, to the address held by their GP.
If you think you have missed an invitation and have not received a letter, please contact your GP practice directly.
Which screening programmes have been affected?
We can confirm that only a small minority of patients eligible for the following screening programmes have been affected:
- Cervical screening: women (and anyone with a cervix) between the ages of 25 and 64 are invited to attend a screening appointment. This used to be called a 'smear test'.
- Bowel cancer screening: anyone between the ages of 54 to 74 is sent a home testing kit every 2 years, which involves sending a stool sample.
- Breast cancer screening: anyone registered as female between the ages of 50 and 71 are invited for a mammogram every 3 years.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening: men aged 65 are invited for an ultrasound scan of the abdomen.
Other types of screening programmes have not been affected.
Why did this happen?
The error behind this problem occurred when patients had registered at a new GP practice and key data relevant for screening was not entered or was incorrect.
A patient was not informed of this error, and it did not affect their access to other NHS services because the issue only relates to a validation process specific to transferring patient details to the NHS screening IT system.
NHS England has assured us that this issue has now been rectified and that incomplete or inaccurate data will be flagged and corrected promptly.
We are working closely with GP practices and regional health providers to ensure records are kept accurate up to date.
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