
Up to 270 women may have died from breast cancer due to computer glitch - enb
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-03/breast-cancer-up-to-270-women-uk-may-have-died-due-to-it-error/9721930
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Area12
Is this now the most costly software error in history, measured in human lives
lost?

Imagine if the UK Parliament or the EU decides that the best response is enact
laws mandating a particular software testing approach, or mandates extensive
regression testing on production systems after all changes?

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aaron695
> Is this now the most costly software error in history, measured in human
> lives lost?

No, it's a drop in the bucket.

Here's a 1.2 billion screw up, it'd have to also be hundreds if not thousands
of lives (A human life in the west is worth around 1 or 2 million $)

[https://www.smh.com.au/technology/queensland-health-
payroll-...](https://www.smh.com.au/technology/queensland-health-payroll-fail-
government-ordered-to-pay-ibm-costs-20160404-gnxpqj.html)

Even if you looked at humans per lines of code I suspect this wouldn't be it.

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legostormtroopr
> There may "be between 135 and 270 women who had their lives shortened as a
> result"

> between 2009 and the start of 2018

> were not invited to their final breast screening

So over 9 years less than 270 people (30 people per year) over the age of 68
who weren't sent a checkup reminder, and chose not to take an active role in
their own health care, and may have died of cancer.

Its a shame that people may have died, but in the grand scheme of this is this
a huge issue? Is the algorithm to blame, or the people who chose to not take
responsibility in their own health?

