More than 3,000 Scots wrongly told to shield after misidentification of cancer
MORE than 3,000 people were forced to shield unnecessarily during the coronavirus pandemic due to misidentification of cancers, it has been revealed.
In response to a parliamentary question from Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said 9,221 people were sent letters removing them from the list of people forced to self-isolate due to underlying health conditions.
Public Health Scotland sends the letters to patients on behalf of NHS boards, telling recipients they can adhere to the same coronavirus rules as the rest of Scotland.
A letter can be sent for a number of reasons, including following a consultation between patients and their doctor or because of an error.
In his answer, Mr Swinney presented a table outlining the reasons for the letters being sent to individuals, which showed 3,361 were issued as a result of “cancer misidentifications”.
According to the Scottish Government, these people were misidentified as having had radical radiotherapy for lung cancer when it was, in fact, used to treat another form of cancer.
Mr Swinney’s answer revealed 80 people received a letter after being misidentified as having recently had a transplant, which would have put them at a greater risk of the virus.
A further 840 people were removed after it was discovered the drug they were taking for rheumatological problems did not put them at greater risk of Covid-19.
A total of 4,940 people were listed as “generic” removals, which includes those who have had a discussion with a clinician about their condition and those who are not considered to be at risk following a development in the scientific understanding of the illness.
Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said: “It’s pretty clear that, from the start, the SNP Government has made serious mistakes when informing and managing the shielding community. Along with their failures on testing and their failure to protect care home staff, the SNP Government’s handling of this vulnerable group has been nothing short of shambolic.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The implications of shielding have been enormous for every person affected, and their loved ones, and we do not want to ask anyone to live under those restrictions longer than they have to. The task of identifying people with the highest clinical risk who should shield has been complex and forensic. It involved clinicians and analysts in Public Health Scotland and territorial boards as well as GPS.”