MOH apologises after bowel screening blunder

The Ministry of Health's been forced to apologise to more than a thousand people who received invitations to participate in a bowel cancer screening programme - despite already having the disease. The letters were sent out to 1200 people in Tairawhiti, Canterbury and South Cnaterbury DHBs from November 11 to the 13th. It was on the 16th that the Ministry started receiving hundreds of complaints about its mistake. Chief Medical Officer Doctor Andrew Simpson told our reporter Nita Blake-Persen the error was caused by a computer glitch.