The Health Service Executive was advised against doing its controversial review of breast ultrasounds at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise, it has emerged. Eithne Donnellan, Health Correspondent, reports.
The Irish Timeshad learned that this advice was given to the HSE by Dr Ann O'Doherty after she was asked to conduct a review of mammograms and ultrasounds performed at the hospital when a radiologist there was sent on administrative leave.
It is understood that having consulted with an expert in the UK with vast experience in doing reviews of breast radiology, she advised the HSE against doing a review of ultrasounds, but committed herself to doing the review of mammograms which found nine women had wrongly been given the all clear for breast cancer.
However, the HSE locally went ahead with the review of ultrasounds and asked Dr Peter Naughton, a surgeon at the Portlaoise hospital, to carry it out.
His review became controversial after it emerged at a Dáil committee meeting last week that, on foot of it, 97 women were to be recalled for further tests. But the women being recalled had not been told at that stage and neither had Minister for Health Mary Harney nor HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm.
There was then a flurry of activity on Friday last to recall the patients to reassure them about their health. Many of them were seen at a special clinic in Portlaoise on Saturday led by Prof Arnie Hill of Dublin's Beaumont Hospital, who revealed on Monday that no serious concerns arose when he reviewed the patients, whom he described as "low risk".
The HSE stated yesterday that ultrasounds "were included for absolute completeness to ensure all facets of care were examined".
But it refused to comment on the news that Dr O'Doherty had advised against ultrasounds being reviewed. The HSE claimed the ultrasound review was conducted "based on criteria advised by Dr Ann O'Doherty".
It is understood Dr O'Doherty gave the HSE a copy of guidelines used elsewhere for reviews but said the review of ultrasounds should not proceed and she did not devise any specific criteria for a review of ultrasounds in the midlands.
The HSE yesterday refused to provide a copy of the "criteria" it claimed she provided for the review. A spokeswoman said these would be "dealt with in the report".
Dr O'Doherty's report on what she found following her review of about 3,000 mammograms read at Portlaoise since November 2003 has now been submitted to the HSE, which is seeking legal advice on its contents before they can be published.
Meanwhile, the HSE expects to name early next week the "external independent person" who it will engage to review its management of the Portlaoise breast cancer controversy. The terms of reference for the review are being drawn up by a subcommittee of the HSE board.