Health Secretary Has Announced Up To 270 Women May Have Died As A Result

Specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have been instructed to investigate legal claims after it was revealed that almost half a million women in England had not been sent routine appointments for breast screening due to a computer error.

It was revealed earlier this month that 450,000 women, aged between 68 and 71 had missed screening tests since 2009. The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt MP, has since apologised to the women and their families. He has also announced an independent review into the issue.

Irwin Mitchell’s specialist group litigation team is now investigating the circumstances of this serious error which has gone undetected for years. Some women have gone on to develop breast cancer which should have been picked up on much earlier by routine screening.

Expert Opinion

For almost half a million women to be let down by the NHS over such a lengthy period is extremely worrying to say the least. It is now vital that a full and thorough investigation is held to determine why this happened and how a repeat of such a failure is not repeated.

“It is also important that women who feel they may have been affected come forward, allowing the NHS to fully establish the extent to which people’s health has been put at risk, and so they can receive specialist support that they may require.” Sallie Booth - Partner

The BBC reported that of the 450,000 women affected, 309,000 were still alive and in their 70s. In a statement to Parliament, the Health Secretary said that there may be between 135 and 270 women whose lives had been shortened as a result.

A computer algorithm failure has been labelled as the source of the issue, leading to those who just turned 70 not receiving an invitation for testing. Mr Hunt said that variations in the way that local services sent out these invitations could also have been a factor.

All those women that have been affected were due to contacted by letter by the end of May. Those who are under 75 will be offered a routine mammogram and the Health Secretary has said that any woman who wants a mammogram will get one within six months.

A national helpline has been set up and people are advised to contact it for more information. The number is: 0800 169 2692.

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