DIAGNOSIS DISASTER
HOSPITAL COLONOSCOPY SHOCK – THIRTEEN ‘POSSIBLE MISSED CANCERS’ AT WEXFORD GENERAL, HSE REPORT REVEALS DAVID TUCKER REPORTS ON COLONOSCOPY FAILURES
ALL THE matters and documents relating to mistakes in bowel cancer screening at Wexford General Hospital, which meant that 13 possible cancer cases went undiagnosed, have been referred to the Irish Medical Council for professional ethical oversight.
And it’s understood that the consultant who carried out the flawed procedures will not be returning to work at the hospital.
The consultant, referred to as ‘Clinician Y’, who has not been identified and who is ‘on leave’, disagrees with the findings of a very detailed final review of the Health Service Executive recall of 615 patients who attended Wexford General Hospital with 13 ‘possible missed cancers’.
The cases relate to the care provided by ‘Clinician Y’ between March 2013 and November 2014 in relation to colonoscopies - bowel checks.
Thirteen cancer cases at Wexford General Hospital were missed in patients’ colonoscopies, according to a final review of the incident.
The patients’ families, six of them from Co Wexford and seven from Counties Carlow and Kilkenny, were informed on Wednesday of the review’s finding that their cancers were missed.
One of them, contacted by this newspaper last week, said he did not not want to comment on the situation.
A total of 615 colonoscopies read by the consultant were reviewed after concerns were raised, and 401 patients were sent for further colonoscopies, according to the review.
Patients affected include those attending as part of the national BowelScreen programme and patients referred for colonoscopies by their GP because of their symptoms.
The review categorises the 13 cases as ‘probable missed’ cancers. One of the patients died before the process began. The hospital has apologised to patients for any failings in the services provided to them.
The HSE commissioned an outside expert to review the quality assurance measures in place in Wexford and the overall management of the incident.
The HSE said last year the hospital had reviewed a number of screening and diagnostic colonoscopies undertaken in 2013 and 2014 after the BowelScreen programme raised concerns about the quality of procedures undertaken there on its behalf.
It said this process was put in place after two patients who previously had screening colonoscopies carried out in Wexford as part of the programme were identified as having interval cancers. This is a cancer diagnosed between screening examinations.
The HSE said the medical teams recommended the recall of 163 patients, who previously underwent a diagnostic colonoscopy, for a consultant-provided outpatient appointment.
Every patient was written to by Wexford General Hospital with a scheduled appointment.
Diagnostic colonoscopies are those requested by a patient’s GP to investigate gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain or bleeding.
Screening colonoscopies are carried out on people aged 60-69 who have had a positive home test as part of the HSE’s BowelScreen programme.