Sky News Presenter Colin Brazier Receives NHS Screening Reminder For Late Wife Who Died Of Breast Cancer

Colin Brazier's wife Jo died in July of this year.

A Sky News presenter has revealed his late wife was sent a letter inviting her to a breast cancer screening, weeks after she died from the disease.

Colin Brazier shared a letter addressed to his late wife, Jo, on Twitter, sent by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust. Jo Brazier was married to the newsreader for 20 years and died aged 55 on 6 July.

Alongside an image of the letter inviting Jo for a screening on 14 September, he wrote: “I know the NHS is the closest thing we have to a state religion etc, but invitations to breast screening fall on deaf ears to those who’ve already died of breast cancer.”

The hospital trust has since apologised and said they will be investigating the mistake.

I know the NHS is the closest thing we have to a state religion etc, but invitations to breast screening fall on deaf ears to those who’ve already died of breast cancer. pic.twitter.com/RKiite9E7V

— Colin Brazier (@colinbraziersky) August 22, 2018

Dozens of Twitter users expressed sympathy with him, with some commenting that the blunder was “heartbreaking”. The presenter, 50, later tweeted to say that the letter was “a minor irritation” while calling for a “sense of perspective”.

“No no guys. Not heart-breaking, utterly or otherwise. Sense of perspective please. A minor irritation,” he wrote.

He added: “Certainly don’t want to be a recreational offence-taker. That way madness. Mistakes occur in all monolithic institutions. It’s just something that needs noting when it happens.”

Presenter Colin Brazier (right) with cameraman Garwen McLuckie.
Brent N. Clarke via Getty Images
Presenter Colin Brazier (right) with cameraman Garwen McLuckie.

Hampshire Hospitals later apologised on Twitter and said it would investigate.

“We are very sorry for the distress this letter must have caused,” a tweet from the Trust read. “Please be assured we take this very seriously. We will investigate this and look for any lessons that can be learned.”

We are very sorry for the distress this letter must have caused. Please be assured we take this very seriously. We will investigate this and look for any lessons that can be learned. Please message us with details of how we can contact you directly so we can talk to you.

— Hampshire Hospitals (@HHFTnhs) August 22, 2018

The presenter was also urged to contact the trust with further details.

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