HUNDREDS OF mistakes were made by a locum consultant radiologist who worked at two hospitals in the northeast, according to a report to be published this month.
The report, which details the findings of a review of some 6,000 chest X-rays and 70 CT scans reported on by the consultant while he worked at hospitals in Drogheda and Navan between August 2006 and August 2007, will say that nine patients with lung cancer had a delayed diagnosis as a result of the errors made.
The Irish Timeshas learned that the report will also say hundreds of other mistakes were also made by the doctor when reading X-rays, but these errors did not have significant clinical consequences for the patients involved.
However, they could have had consequences for the patients had they not subsequently been picked up.
It is understood letters have now been issued to these patients' GPs correcting the X-ray reports which were originally given out.
It is also understood that some patients were called back to have their X-rays redone during the review to ensure they were given a correct diagnosis.
The review of the consultant's work was announced last May and at that time the HSE sent letters to 4,600 patients advising them their X-rays were being double-checked. The initial mailshot, which was outsourced to a private company, had to also be redone after some patients received letters intended for other recipients.
Announcing the review, Minister for Health Mary Harney told the Dáil it was for precautionary reasons. She said that in late 2007, it came to the attention of the HSE that a small number of patients in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda and Our Lady's Hospital Navan had their diagnosis delayed due to an abnormality on their chest X-ray not being noted on initial examination by the radiologist.
These four patients, through follow-up X-rays, were subsequently diagnosed with lung cancer and all had since died, she said.
Concerns have since been raised about the length of time it took for the full review of the locum's work to begin, given that the HSE was aware since September 2007 that a number of lung cancer patients in the northeast had been misdiagnosed.
The HSE's report will deal with this issue. It will claim advice had to be taken from a number of sources on whether a full look-back of the doctor's work was warranted given that there is known to be a significant error rate when chest X-rays are used as a tool to diagnose lung cancers.
Meanwhile, the locum at the centre of the review is understood to be living in Scotland.
A review of some of his work there was announced by the NHS shortly after the one in the northeast began.
In an update on its review of the locum's work in the northeast at the beginning of this month, the HSE said a comprehensive report on the lookback was almost complete, but on the basis of legal advice, the HSE had to wait for certain matters to be finalised before the report could be published.