Heads must roll for this...

Computer glitches at home or work can have you pulling your hair out in frustration.

When they occur in the institutions dealing with life and death decision every day, the consequences can be far reaching ... and far deadlier.

Which is why MPs across our community are right to demand answers over the breast screening debacle.

Our region has been affected badly with thousands of women not being called for a final mammogram.

Just how serious this could be is reflected in the national statistics.

According to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, as many as 75 women may have died of breast cancer unnecessarily due to the error.

We should not let the government off the hook on this one and we need to be told if any of those who have died are from our community. The whole situation smacks of incompetence.

And it doesn’t bode well for the future of the NHS. Little wonder that former Prime Minister Gordon Brown warns of the NHS being in “mortal danger.”

His call for more investment must be acted upon, in light of this latest tragedy. A computer glitch is being blamed for the calamity, but we are dealing with real people and very real, and potentially fatal, consequences.

Mr Hunt’s apology is the least we should expect.

But given the emotional and physical pain caused to so many women by a catastrophic blunder that should never have happened, further action is warranted.

An independent review is to take place, and that’s as it should be.

But this has cost lives and caused much heartache.

Heads must roll.