Validation for DHB cancer screening

The Health Minister has delivered an apology and a set of recommendations to strengthen the rollout of the national bowelcancer screening programme.

It comes after a disaster setback that saw thousands of patients in the Waitemata District Health Board (DHB) area not receive invitations for a screening test, and revelations some had developed bowel cancer, undetected at the early stages, as a result.

Health Minister David Clark said the findings of a review panel would help ensure the programme was safe and effective.

Greater clinical oversight and a plan to develop the workforce were among the 19 recommendations in the review, which largely endorsed the rollout of a screening programme.

Clark released the results of that review at a press conference in Wellington yesterday and confirmed the ministry would enact the recommendations in full.

Review leader Professor Gregor Coster gave details of the review, which included interviews with more than 60 individuals, masses of documents and a review of IT processes.

‘‘The pilot was well conceived, performed well and in several respects was of a higher quality than several other international pilots,’’ Coster said.

The DHB pilot at Waitemata performed ‘‘very well’’ despite the issues that arose.

‘‘We are confident of the rollout, provided the recommendations are implemented. Despite some issues, the pilot programme provided a solid foundation for the national bowel-screening programme,’’ Coster said.

Concerns over whether the workforce was adequately resourced to cope with the increased demand of a nationwide screening programme could be mitigated at least partly through a workforce development plan and greater clinical oversight.

IT upgrades would be carefully managed, and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the ministry would be reporting publicly on the rollout every six months.

‘‘It is important to note that the Ministry of Health has work ongoing to ensure that everything possible is being done to avoid a repeat of the issues identified earlier in the year involving thousands of people missing out on invitations to take part in bowel screening,’’ Clark said.

‘‘No-one should underestimate the scale and complexity of introducing such a large national screening programme while at the same time developing a dedicated IT system to identify, track and monitor programme participants.

Clark ordered an immediate review earlier this year, following the revelations that a Ministry of Health IT glitch led to the error that was believed to have cost at least one life.

Last year, the ministry revealed 15,000 people who should have received screening invitations did not. Some people did not receive their invitations to be screened during the Waitemata DHB pilot programme, which started in 2011, due to issues with updating addresses.