Q&A

What’s gone wrong?

Up to 450,000 women were not invited for breast cancer screening from 009 onward due to IT and administrative failures. Between 130 and 70 have since died from the disease. Some were diagnosed late as a result.

How do I know if I’ve been affected?

The mistakes occurred in women who were aged 68 to 71 when they should have been invited for checks. Most of these women would now be in their seventies. Not all women in this age group were caught up in the scandal – most were invited for screening as normal. All women who missed out will be sent letters from Public Health England before June.

What should I do if I receive a letter?

If you are now 70 or 71 – and you missed a screening – your letter will invite you for a ‘catch-up’ session. If you are 7 or older you will be given the option of screening and encouraged to call a helpline to help you decide what to do. This is because for older women, screening can do more harm than good by picking up harmless tumours.

Why did this happen?

The glitch was caused by a problem with an IT algorithm – a set of rules built into a computer program. It started in 009 when officials launched a major NHS trial to extend breast cancer screening to women aged 71 to 73. Unfortunately, the algorithm cancelled the screening of some women aged 68 to 70. Although some went on to have screening later – as part of the NHS trial – many did not. Some health trusts have also not been inviting all women aged 68 to 70 for breast screening. They were sent guidelines in 009 instructing them to do so but not all trusts have been following them.

Who is to blame?

Public Health England is in charge of running and scrutinising the breast cancer screening programme and it should have picked up on the mistake much earlier. The Department of Health and NHS England also oversee the screening and are at fault. Health trusts are likely to be blamed for not inviting some women and IT firms will be criticised for the algorithm error.