Lab error leads to thousands of cervical screening tests being reviewed

A laboratory run by Pathology First, working on behalf of Basildon and Thurrock NHS Foundation Trust, are having to redo thousands of cervical screening tests for cancer after an error was discovered.

The samples affected, which were taken between April 2016 and September 2017 for women aged between 24 and 29 who had smear tests, as well as a number of women in their 60’s, are being re-screened independently.

The results held by the lab were classed as negative, but having had some 2,500 samples re-screened, 17 women have reportedly been invited for further assessments.

Cervical screening tests are vital in order to detect cancer early and allow treatment to be initiated. There’s generally a short window of opportunity to treat cancer more effectively, before tumours become inoperable and medically nothing further can be done.

Although this has been classed as an “isolated incident” by the Trust in question, undoubtedly those who require further investigation will be worried, uncertain and anxious.

If cancer has been missed, lives may be at stake.

Consequences of a misdiagnosis

Irrelevant of how it occurs, a misdiagnosis is still a misdiagnosis.

Patients are at risk of suffering more, and in cases like this – the risk could end up being life-threatening.

It’s worrying to hear about this issue, and in the event any woman has been misdiagnosed as a result of the erroneous tests, their lives may be set to be changed forever.

Hopefully, there will be no cases of a misdiagnosis that leads to cancer being missed and the chances of recovery – or a good recovery – being reduced in any way. We represent a lot of medical negligence victims for misdiagnoses claims, so we can testify first-hand just how bad it can be in this kind of scenario.

As NHS resources continue to be stretched and private outsourcing becomes the norm, some people are understandably concerned.