An NHS foundation trust in Kent says it will provide extra breast screening appointment slots to help women affected by a national IT error.

Earlier this week, health secretary Jeremy Hunt (Con) said up to 270 women in England may have died prematurely after failing to get invitations to a final routine mammogram.

An IT problem meant 450,000 women across the country, aged between 68 and 71, have not received such a letter since 2009.

Speaking at yesterday’s Medway NHS Foundation Trust trust board meeting, medical director Diana Hamilton-Fairley said extra demand for mammograms was expected locally as a result.

She told the board: “The breast screening department here are setting up on the assumption that there will be local women who have not been screened. They are setting up to provide extra slots for these women.

“There is a helpline, and the (hospital’s breast screening) department have been very, very responsible. We know it has been extremely good and we have every confidence all of those women will be seen in a small amount of time.”

Mr Hunt said all women affected will receive a letter by the end of the month, while those aged under 72 will get an appointment for a catch-up mammogram.

He also suggested any woman who wants a mammogram will get one within six months, but said it was a priority this would not cause delays to the screening programme for other female patients.