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NEWS: Outdated databases hamper cancer screening programmes

An outdated national GP registration database and multiple local systems contributed to two major failings in women’s cancer screening programmes, auditors say today.

Both cervical and breast screening programmes have been shaken by incidents in which it was discovered that thousands of women had not received crucial correspondence.

The auditors, from the National Audit Office, conclude that local services do not operate according to agreed standards, leading to “inconsistent” uptake of screening in different parts of England. The report reveals that the old database of GP registrations was due to be replaced last year – but this has been delayed until 2021 at a cost of £13.9 million.

Overall there may be 350 different systems involved in screening programmes across England, it says, including 78 used for breast screening. In the cervical screening programme, in March last year just 33% of women received test results within 14 days – against a target of 98%, the auditors say.

The charity Macmillan Cancer Support said the findings were “deeply concerning.”

Dr Fran Woodard, from the charity, said: “Every single one of these cases can have a profound impact – not just on people who may face anxiety and potentially experience delays to their diagnosis, but on their loved ones, too. We must take action to ensure that earlier diagnosis for all is not an aspiration but a reality and that as a minimum, services are operating to the agreed standards for screening, regardless of where you live.”

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