NHS announces a radical overhaul for cancer screening after two major scandals
NHS cancer screening will be radically overhauled after two major scandals put thousands at risk.
Health bosses admitted it was time to review current checks for breast, bowel and cervical cancers.
Changes could include greater use of artificial intelligence and targeted screening that offers more frequent tests for higher risk Brits.
NHS England claims its £455million-a-year programmes have helped save hundreds of thousands of lives.
But the current ageing system relies on sending out millions of letters to patients, encouraging them to attend appointments.
It emerged earlier this year a computer glitch resulted in 174,000 women missing out on breast cancer screening after the error went undetected for years.
Officials admitted the blunder may have cost hundreds of lives.
And earlier this week, outsourcing firm Capita said it had failed to send cervical screening letters to nearly 50,000 women.
Steve Powis, the medical director of NHS England, said: “Screening is a vital and effective tool in our fight against cancer. However, recent issues with breast and cervical cancer screening have shown that we need to look closely at these existing programmes.”
Screening can spot cancer early before a person has any symptoms. Early treatment boost a patient’s survival chances.
Women aged 50 to 70 are invited for breast checks every three years, while those aged 35 to 64 are screened for cervical cancer every three to five years.
Everyone between 60 to 74 is also offered bowel cancer tests.
The overhaul will be led by Professor Sir Mike Richards, the former Chief Inspector of Hospitals.
He said: “There is no doubt that the screening programmes in England save thousands of lives every year, however, we want to make certain they are as effective as possible.
“This review provides the opportunity to look at recent advances in technology and innovative approaches to selecting people for screening, ensuring the NHS screening programme can go from strength to strength and save more lives.”
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Charities welcome the screening review.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Now, said: “This is an extremely exciting and much-needed step forward.
"Following the recent major errors, this landmark review demonstrates a really encouraging level of ambition in the NHS’ long-term plan to harness research progress and improve cancer outcomes in England.”
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