NEW measures are to be introduced after an electronic blunder led to 77 women receiving incorrect letters telling them they had a sexually transmitted disease following routine smear tests.

Although the letters correctly informed the women of smear tests results, wrong information about the presence of infections was included.

The error happened last month following a fault in the coding system that is used to record the results.

A "no infection" code used by Rochdale pathology lab was translated as "multiple infections" on the Bury and Rochdale Health Authority computer database which sends out letters to patients.

The coding system was introduced when six women with infections were wrongly given the all-clear. Health officials became aware of the problem after a patient confirmed with her GP that she had been sent false information.

Apology letters were sent to all patients concerned and GPs were notified.

Results for 292 women were affected but 215 letters were stopped before being sent.

Following an external inquiry by the North West Region Cervical Screening Quality Assurance Team based at Liverpool Women's hospital, health bosses are taking steps to ensure the mistake does not recur.

The report, presented to the health authority earlier this week, recommended several technical improvements as well as maintaining regular quality control checks.

Mr Richard Popplewell, authority chief executive, said: "We have taken this incident very seriously and are considering the recommendations from an independent expert.

"In the interim period the authority is carrying out full quality checks to ensure that any possible incorrect codes do not wrongly inform women. There is certainly a lesson to be learnt from this."

No women in the Bury area were affected.

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