HSE STATEMENT:THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) says it fully accepts the findings of a report that is highly critical of the way cancer patient Rebecca O'Malley was treated by health authorities.
In a statement yesterday, the HSE, which has apologised to Ms O'Malley for the distress caused by errors in her care, accepted all the report's 15 recommendations on clinical and process issues.
Some of these recommendations have already been implemented, while others are being implemented in a process that will be overseen by senior officials, it said.
The HSE noted that a consultant pathologist at Cork University Hospital made an error in diagnosing Rebecca O'Malley in 2005.
However, it pointed out a review into the work of the pathologist found he did not make any other errors. As a result, there was no evidence identified of a wider concern about the consultant's practice.
On the issue of the five-month delay in reviewing Ms O'Malley's 2005 tests, the HSE expressed disappointment that specific reasons for the delay could not be established.
It also acknowledged that issues raised in the report may cause concern for current or former patients of Mid-Western Regional or Cork University hospitals.
The faculty of pathology of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland also welcomed the report's findings and fully endorsed its recommendations.
It said Ms O'Malley's courageous decision to raise her case publicly helped to highlight structural deficiencies in breast cancer services and will contribute to improving breast cancer services.
"While incidents of misdiagnosis can never be eliminated entirely, every effort must be made to ensure error rates in pathology are kept within accepted international standards and that appropriate quality assurance and management systems exist," it said.
John McCormack, chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society, said this latest controversy over breast cancer services had seriously eroded public confidence.
"It is vital that the Government and HSE work to restore that by giving the public a commitment to centralising and adequately resourcing our breast and other cancer services and making them responsible and accountable so that they are providing a uniformly high standard of care."
The HSE has established a number of phone lines for patient inquiries into cancer care. For general inquiries about HSE services or cancer support services, the public can call the HSE infoline 1850 24 1850.