A number of patients treated at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda are being told this week of the miscategorisation of pre-cancerous cells as part of open disclosure procedures in the HSE.
Three patients are being invited to what are known as “open disclosure” meetings at the hospital this week.
Such meetings are organised between a healthcare provider and a patient, or their relevant person, following a patient safety incident.
It is understood that in addition to these three patients, several dozen other patients will be sent letters advising them that the grading of their pre-cancerous cells has been altered following a review.
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In some instances, the severity of the grading of the pre-cancerous cells has been increased and in other cases decreased.
It is understood in the case of one patient, a grading of mild, attributed initially to pre-cancerous cells, has been upgraded to high.
In another case a mild grading has been found to be moderate.
It is understood in another case, a patient underwent a second biopsy, which was found to be unnecessary.
The moves follows a review of work carried out by one consultant at the hospital.
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In a statement on Tuesday, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital said: “In the course of our quality assurance process in the hospital, we commissioned an independent lookback of all histopathology slides across various specialities in relation to one consultant, focusing on a period from February to November 2024”.
“This review is under way and any patients in relation to whom any findings are relevant will be contacted directly by the hospital. HSE Dublin and North East has provided necessary information to the HSE in line with the National Patient Safety Briefing Protocol.”
The hospital review is continuing and it is possible other patients may be invited to similar open disclosure meetings in the future.
Stephen McMahon, co-founder and director of the Irish Patients’ Association (IPA), said full transparency was important. He called on senior management to answer questions about when exactly it became aware of this issue and how many patients in total are affected.
“Patients should not be left waiting in fear for a dreaded letter, every affected person must be written to immediately,” he said.
Though acknowledging this issue is separate to previous controversies in CervicalCheck as it does not relate to a screening programme, Mr McMahon said it “carries awful shadows of previous debacles”.
“Only urgent transparency and accountability will fully inform those affected, ensure they and their families receive the supports they need, and protect future patients.”
He outlined a number of “key questions” following the news, including whether this miscategorisation of pre-cancerous cells will affect the prognosis of any patients and what systems are in place now to prevent this from happening again.
Sinn Fein’s health spokesman David Cullinane said the open disclosure meetings must “take place urgently”.
“This will be a worrying time for any patient who receives a letter to say their histopathology slides are under review. Face to face meetings and every support must be given to these patients,” he said.
“Obviously a full investigation will be needed to establish how and why there was so many slides miscategorised and measures put in place to ensure this does not happen again.”
