Scan review at hospital is complete

OVER 46,000 SCANS, ULTRASOUNDS AND X-RAYS WERE REVIEWED AT UHK

THE review of suspect scans at University Hospital Kerry (UHK) is now complete.

In an update on the review issued last Thursday the HSE’s South/South West Hospital Group said that all 46,235 suspect images have now been reviewed.

A total of 272 patients were recalled and the Clinical Subgroup set up to carry out the review will continue to review the cases of all patients called back for repeat scans.

“The completed audit is subject to a further quality assurance process and this and the work of the Clinical Subgroup will be completed by the end of March,” said Emma Gallagher of Dublin based Heneghan PR who have handled media queries on the review since news of the scandal broke late last year.

The review involved all scans – relating to 26,751 patients – that 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.

The number of patients identified who had a missed or delayed diagnosis remains at ten. At least seven of these involved cancer.