New photo Women ‘at risk of cervical cancer’ after system error means up to 48,000 women may have missed smear tests

NEARLY 50,000 women could be at risk of cervical cancer after an NHS blunder meant they didn’t receive letters inviting them for a smear test.

Top docs have written to the chief exec of NHS England expressing concern over the fact that thousands haven’t received a reminder notice for screening, while others have failed to get their results.

48,000 women haven’t received smear test reminders

Getty - Contributor

It means they may be unaware they have abnormal findings and are at heightened risk of cancer.

After the age of 25, women are sent a letter inviting them for a screening every three years. If they don’t go, they’re sent a reminder – so the chances here are that these women will have only missed one of these letters, NHS England told The Sun.

But it’s also claimed that some results letters have also gone amiss.

Nevertheless, the British Medical Association is urging NHS England to strip Capita (who has been responsible for the delivery of NHS England’s primary care support services since 2015) of its contract, and take the service back in-house.

Some women also haven’t received their results in the blunder

Getty - Contributor

The BMA is also now informing its GP members, alerting them to the situation in order to help them provide these women with the support they might require.

Dr Richard Vautrey, BMA GP committee chair, said: “This is an incredibly serious situation, and it is frankly appalling that patients may now be at risk because of this gross error on the part of Capita.

“Some women will now be left extremely anxious because they have not received important correspondence, particularly letters about abnormal smear test results that need urgent follow-up.

“This has been caused solely by Capita’s incompetence.

Over 4,000 women die from cervical cancer every year

Getty - Contributor

“We know that, because of the nature of this procedure, many patients are already reluctant to attend these appointments, and therefore reminder letters are crucial to provide encouragement and reinforce the importance of having a cervical smear test done. Incidents like this, therefore, will hardly inspire confidence in the system and risk even fewer women getting checked.

“It is ultimately NHS England that bears overall responsibility and it must now take this service back in-house.

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“As the body which commissioned Capita to take on this work, despite clear warning signs that it was not up to the job, NHS England must shoulder the blame for this dreadful situation; you cannot outsource responsibility.”

The news comes as it was revealed that millions of women are putting themselves at risk of cervical cancer by shunning smear tests in record numbers.

New figures have shown that around three million women across England haven’t had a test for at least three and a half years.

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News Pictures Women ‘at risk of cervical cancer’ after system error means up to 48,000 women may have missed smear tests

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