Failings in Andalucia’s breast cancer screening programme have sparked outrage after it emerged multiple women were not informed in time that they needed to repeat or complete their mammograms.
The President of the Junta de Andalucia, Juanma Moreno, publicly apologised on Thursday, saying there will be a full review of detection protocols.
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‘Whenever there’s a failure in healthcare protocols, the first step must be to apologise and express sincere regret,’ Moreno said.
He acknowledged that while errors can occur in a healthcare system as large as Andalucia’s – the biggest in Spain – they must be addressed immediately.
The exact number of women affected is still unknown, but the regional government is now working to identify every case and correct the issue.
According to the Andalucian Health Department, no formal complaints had been received from affected patients.
Instead, the problem only came to light through media reports. The department has called for an urgent meeting with Amama, an association representing women affected by breast cancer, to determine the full extent of the issue and implement immediate solutions.
Moreno said Andalucia had recently expanded the age range for its breast cancer screening programme, which now covers women between 49 and 71 years old. Around 500,000 women are screened each year as part of this initiative.
‘Between January and August 2025, the programme helped diagnose 1,800 cases of breast cancer,’ Moreno said, underlining that early detection saves lives, even if the system isn’t perfect.
He encouraged all women to continue participating in screening despite the current controversy.
Where the protocol failed
The flaw in the system appears to have occurred when radiologists were unsure about a diagnosis and requested a second test. It was during this stage that the breakdown in communication happened, leaving some women unaware of the need for further screening.
‘We are reviewing every step of the protocol to both locate the affected individuals and prevent future errors,’ Moreno said.
The Junta has asked Amama to work alongside health officials to help find and prioritise all affected women, offering them fast-track treatment access to minimise any delay in care.
Political fallout
The issue has triggered a political backlash, with left-wing opposition parties demanding the resignation of the Health Minister.
The minister initially downplayed the situation but later referred to it as ‘healthcare manipulation.’
Despite the criticism, Moreno reaffirmed his confidence in the system.
‘The system works,’ he said, stressing that these are isolated incidents that the administration is committed to resolving immediately.
