Thousands forced to shield without reason due to misidentified cancers

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 the recipients they are allowed to adhere to the same coronavirus regulations 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 the disease.

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.