Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, commenting on the revelation that 450,000 women did not receive invitations for breast cancer screenings, said:

“Today’s revelations will be terrifying for hundreds of thousands of women across the country. Anyone who has had a loved one taken by breast cancer or indeed any cancer will know of the great pain and anguish of that loss.

“At a time when screening rates are already at their lowest level for a decade, Ministers must make sure the NHS has the staff and resources it needs to put these mistakes right and reassure the public that NHS screening programmes are working effectively.

“And there remain big questions about the failure in the oversight of the Breast Screening Programme. This problem has affected thousands of women over many years. Ministers must explain why this issue was allowed to go on for so long and why the problem wasn’t identified earlier.”