Scan recheck at UHK now almost half complete

THE HSE’s South/South West Hospital Group say that almost 22,000 suspect scan images out of 46,300 that must be reviewed at University Hospital Kerry (UHK) have now been checked.

The hospital has said that 34 patients have now been recalled as a result of concerns arising from the recheck but that none of these cases have required further clinical follow ups.

According to the HSE, the reviews completed so far account for more than half of the patients impacted.

It is expected to take around six weeks for the eight strong team that is carrying out the recheck to complete the review.

The review involves 46,302 scans – relating to 26,751 patients – which were examined by a single locum radiologist who was employed at UHK from March 2016 to July 2017.

In July and August this year management at the hospital were notified of three missed cancer diagnoses that had not been picked up by the locum when they examined the patients’ files.

The radiologist was immediately placed on administrative leave and a preliminary audit of their work was carried out.

Based on this audit it was decided to carry out a recheck of every single scan the radiologist had examined while employed at the hospital.

To date, the recheck has uncovered a further four missed cancer diagnoses bringing the total to seven.

The radiologist at the centre of the scandal resigned from their position on October 18 and is no longer employed by the HSE.

The crisis which has engulfed the hospital since news of the initially secret recheck broke in the press, has led to serious questions about the prior management of the unit and the workload of its staff.

Sinn Féin Councillor Toiréasa Ferris, has said more questions on practices and procedures at UHK need to be answered by both the HSE and the Minister for Health Simon Harris.

“For at least 10 years Deputy Martin Ferris (SF) has been calling on successive Ministers for Health to address the under resourcing of the Radiology Unit and other units at the hospital. Staff and unions have also been highlighting continued under resourcing,” she said.

“We need to know what procedures were put in place after the incident of 2013 when six patients were recalled after another review of scans had taken place,” she said.

“What protocols and procedures were put in place to ensure another incident of this nature did not happen again? It seems that lessons were not learned from that incident four years ago,” said Cllr Ferris.

The Minister for Health has said he is satisfied with the management of a major scan review.