NHS blunder puts 'at least 1,700 patients' at risk
2 min read
Labour has hit out at Jeremy Hunt after it emerged thousands of NHS patients may have been put at risk by an administrative blunder.
A report from the National Audit Office found over 700,000 letters to patients - including the results of blood tests, cancer diagnoses and treatment plans - had been stockpiled in a warehouse used by NHS Shared Business Services, a company part-owned by the Department of Health.
The NAO report suggests over 1,700 patients could have been harmed by the error.
In his initial response to Parliament, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt issued only a two-paragraph statement referring to "an issue with [a] mail redirection service", without reference to patient safety.
In a subsequent statement to MPs in February this year, Mr Hunt said he had been advised by his officials not to make the issue public "until an assessment of the risks to patient safety had been completed and all relevant GP surgeries informed".
Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth said it was one of a "staggering catalogue of mistakes on this government's watch".
"The Secretary of State needs to explain to the public how he got himself into this conflict of interest, why the oversight of the company went wrong, and why he failed to pick up this string of mistakes for so many years,” he said.
Dr Richard Vautrey the deputy chair of the British Medical Association's GP committee, said: 'The failings of this private company identified in the NAO report are completely unacceptable and it is a disgrace that this service failed so badly that patient care was being compromised.
"The handling and transfer of clinical correspondence is a crucial part of how general practice operates, and it's essential that important information reaches GPs as soon as possible so that they can provide the best possible care to their patients."
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