Statement on NHS Screening and GP Registrations issue

Parliament has issued a statement following an error affecting four screening programmes. The NHS is contacting 5,261 people who were not invited for cancer screenings due to an administrative error where the GP registration process was not completed correctly. As a result, these patients were not passed on to the NHS screening programmes they were eligible for, including breast cancer screening.

Letters have now been sent to the affected patients who are eligible for screening or who were previously eligible for a screening but have since exceeded the age limit. The letters set out specific advice depending on which programme the patient is eligible for. They also include the number for a dedicated helpline (0345 8878962) if patients require further support. However, the advice on the letter outlines the most direct support available.

The screening programmes affected are bowel, cervical, AAA, and breast. As yet, we do not have exact numbers of how many women missed their breast screening appointments, however we would advise members to prepare for any additional referrals that may arise and for worried patients who may present to units with questions. 

Affected units will be informed and receive a protocol for how to review missed cases. However, the initial numbers of affected patients for breast screening look small, so please be aware that some units may not have any cases at all.

We will provide more information as the situation progresses.

Read the Parliamentary statement here.

Read NHS England’s response here. 

A summary of the contents of the patient letters can be read below:

The NHS routinely invites anyone registered with a GP as female for NHS breast screening every three years between the ages of 50 and 71. You should receive an invitation for breast screening within the next few weeks. If you haven’t been contacted within fou weeks, contact your local breast screening service to ask for an appointment.

Find contact details at www.nhs.uk/breast-screening. NHS breast screening uses X-rays, called mammograms, to look for cancers that are too small for you to see or feel. For more information, go to www.nhs.uk/breast.

You can also read the guide to NHS breast screening at www.gov.uk/breast-screening-guide. It’s available in accessible formats, including easy read and other languages.

If you are 71 or over, you can still have breast screening every three years if you want to. You can contact your local breast screening service to ask for an appointment. Find contact details at www.nhs.uk/breast-screening.

The helpline number they are being given is: 0345 877 8962.

At this moment in time the ABS do not feel that we as Breast clinicians need to do anything else.