NHS Scotland calls 13,000 women for smear tests after error

Thousands of women are to be called for smear tests after errors in Scotland's cervical screening programme.

In June 2021 it was discovered that several women had died from cervical cancer after being wrongly excluded from NHS Scotland's screening list.

Now a further review expects to find 13,000 patients who have had a hysterectomy will need further tests.

MSPs were told two years ago that a small number had died from cervical cancer after wrongful exclusion from the programme, and that further incorrect exclusions were possible.

The most common reason for exclusion was after a total hysterectomy, where the entire cervix has been removed, meaning there was no need for cervical screening. But some were recorded as having had this procedure where there was only a sub-total or partial hysterectomy, meaning cervical screening was still needed.

An urgent audit followed and all affected women were invited for follow-up examination. Now, a wider audit of 150,000 women who have had subtotal hysterectomies has been launched.

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Source: BBC News, 17 April 2023