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NHS Screening and GP Registrations

11 March 2025

Proposing MP
West Lancashire
Type
Written Ministerial Statement
Department
Department of Health and Social Care

At a Glance

Issue Summary

The statement addresses a failure in the GP registration process that led to incorrect screening invitations for over 5,000 people.

Action Requested

Letters have been sent to affected patients explaining the situation and next steps. NHS England is also conducting a clinical harm assessment based on expert advice and will take appropriate action where necessary. Ongoing work includes identifying those potentially impacted by delayed screening and ensuring future GP registration processes are correctly recorded in IT systems.

Key Facts

  • Around 5,261 people were not invited for routine screening due to incorrect GP registrations.
  • Up to 10 patients with relevant cancers were not invited for certain screenings.
  • About 10 people may have died from a relevant cancer after not being invited for screening.
  • The issue affected bowel, breast and cervical cancer, as well as abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programmes since December 2008.
  • A helpline has been set up by NHS England to assist patients.
  • Work is ongoing to assess any clinical implications of delayed screening.
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy