THOUSANDS of women who were excluded from undergoing cervical cancer tests after undergoing hysterectomies are to be invited for check-ups.
About 13,000 women were removed from the national cervical screening programme after having hysterectomies and are now being offered appointments after it emerged they may have been excluded by mistake.
According to reports in the Scottish Daily Mail, three women developed cervical cancer after being taken off the system.
Women aged 25-64 are offered smear tests checking for human papillomavirus (HPV) which is the main cause of cervical cancer.
Those who had died had undergone a hysterectomy which usually involves the removal of the womb and the cervix.
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But in some cases, part or all of the cervix can be removed and doctors advise these women should still attend cervical screenings.
The issue came to light in 2021, leading to a review of the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme where the medical records of about 200,000 women were checked.
Then-public health minister, Maree Todd, instructed Health Improvement Scotland to look at the processes, systems and governance for when women are permanently removed from the list for cervical screening.
Scottish Conservative MSP Tess Whitesaid: "This is unacceptable, especially given the horrendous cancer wait times patients are facing under the SNP after Humza Yousaf's disastrous stewardship of Scotland's NHS.
"My heart goes out to the women who have suffered as a result of this blunder.
"Cervical cancer screening is of vital importance and women everywhere will understandably be very concerned by the news that so many medical records are inconclusive.
"The SNP Government must make every effort to ensure that any women who may have been excluded from screening programmes are contacted as soon as possible and offered all the support they need."
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The records of an estimated 13,000 women were reportedly "inconclusive" as to whether they were correctly excluded or should have continued to have the checks.
In a letter from Dr Naureen Ahmad, the Scottish Government's deputy director of the general practice policy division, said the women will be invited to attend screening appointments over the next 12 months while a wider audit of a further 150,000 records takes place.
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A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "We apologise for any anxiety caused by the audit being undertaken in the cervical screening programme.
"The risk to those who have been excluded is low and it is very much a precautionary step as the overwhelming majority of exclusions will be correct.
"Everyone who has been affected will be contacted by the screening programme.
"In partnership with NHS Scotland, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust has made its national helpline available to anyone with concerns.
"You can get more information, advice and support by contacting the free Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust helpline on 0808 802 8000."
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