Women are urged to avoid catch-up breast screening

Tuesday 08th May 2018 19:32 EDT
 

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced in the House of Commons that hundreds of thousands of women aged between 68 and 71 had failed to get invitations since 2009 because of a computer error.

An independent review has been launched into the computer error, which Mr Hunt said was discovered in January and dates back to 2009.

The problem stemmed from a National Health Services trial created to find out whether extra screening would protect older women from breast cancer. It has not been disclosed, which hospitals the centres are at.

Screening does not save lives overall and women have been misled into worrying needlessly, according to the medical experts.

Ms Baczkowska said even is screening may not have saved her mother's life, it could have extended it, which she said would have been "very valuable" because she made the most of life.

Women aged between 50 and 70 are supposed to be invited for a mammogram every three years.

All of those affected who are living in the United Kingdom and registered with a GP will be contacted before the end of May.

All women who were not sent an invitation for their final screening will be given the opportunity to have a new appointment.

Hunt said that any women who missed their mammogram will be contacted by the end of May.


comments powered by Disqus



to the free, weekly Asian Voice email newsletter