Scan scandal patients are ‘frightened & traumatised’
Td’s fury as four more diagnosis delays are found
PATIENTS caught up in the botched X-rays and scans fiasco have been left “frightened and traumatised”, a TD claimed yesterday.
Details of a review of files affecting 26,700 people who attended University Hospital Kerry from March last year to last July emerged at the weekend.
The alarm was raised in the summer by a staff member over three possible misdiagnoses and an initial audit of a sample of scans was carried out.
A short time later one hospital employee, a consultant radiologist, was suspended.
Last night the number of serious delayed diagnoses rose to seven – and at least three of the cases involve cancer. The affected patients have been contacted and follow-up care plans have been put in place.
The review has examined more than 18,000 out of 46,000 files to date with six external radiologists and two hospital staff working on a “look back” process, which is expected to take eight to 10 weeks.
Independent TD Michael Healy-rae said yesterday: “My reaction is first and foremost to think of the patients who are worried and traumatised by the Healy-rae whole affair. It’s a very unfortunate situation, it’s a worrying time for the people involved.
“They’re upset and they’re saying to me, ‘How could this happen?’ They’re right, how could it happen? It’s crazy to think people would be let down like this by a professional person.
“It’s very damaging for the hospital. I mean I have confidence in the hospital but you hate to see something like this happening because it’s such a frightening experience for all of the people involved.”
The Health Service Executive confirmed yesterday that the consultant radiologist connected to the scans review worked at another hospital in Ireland for a year during the 1990s and for a few months in 2006.
The HSE did not name the hospital but said there were no issues. The former employee has been reported to the Medical Council, which is now investigating.
University Hospital Kerry has set up a information line on 1800 742 900 for those who may have concerns operating from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Xiang Xiang rests after his exercise PLAYFUL panda cub Xiang Xiang looks stumped as she perches on a log for her press call.
The 26lb, six-month-old was getting ready for her debut to the public at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan.
The healthy female cub was born in June, five years after her mother, Shin Shin, lost another youngster within days of its birth.
Her name, written with the Chinese character for fragrant, was chosen from more than 322,000 suggestions submitted by the public.