Urgent screening for 174 women missed in cervical cancer checks
HEALtH chiefs are contacting 174 women to offer urgent cervical cancer checks after they were wrongfully excluded from routine screening.
the scottish Government announcement came after 434 women were contacted in June over the same blunder.
the issue, which affects women who have undergone partial hysterectomies, came to light earlier this year when a woman died after being ‘incorrectly excluded’ from the cervical cancer screening programme.
that prompted an urgent review of similar cases and 434 women who had partial hysterectomies after 1997 were sent letters in June offering them fast-tracked smear tests.
An audit of women who had the procedure before 1997 was also carried out. It has found 174 were either wrongly excluded from screening or their status was unknown.
Anyone affected should have now received a letter, the scottish Government said. A further 100 women have since died, and checks are being carried out to see whether any of them died of cervical cancer.
the affected women have been split into two groups, one pre-1997 and one post-1997, as that was the onset of electronic records which are easier to trace. No information has been given on whether any of the women who were contacted in June have been diagnosed with cervical cancer.
scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘Huge questions remain about how this error went undiscovered for so long, and why ministers withheld details until after the election.
‘the scottish Government have a responsibility to ensure that these women can access all the urgent and comprehensive care that they need.’
Public Health Minister Maree todd said: ‘We recognise the anxiety anyone receiving a letter will almost certainly feel, and we are sorry for that. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of cervical cancer – unusual discharge or bleeding after sex, between periods or after the menopause – should make an appointment with their GP.’
samantha Dixon of Jo’s Cervical Cancer trust said: ‘While cervical cancer remains rare, for those affected by this incident and undergoing tests this might be a difficult time.
‘Clear failings in the management of those having subtotal hysterectomies have been uncovered and it is essential these are addressed so we don’t see a repeat of this incident.’
For help or support, contact Jo’s Cervical Cancer trust on 0808 802 8000 or jostrust.org.uk
‘Clear failings have been uncovered’