Compensation claims are made against BowelScreen

A secret compensation payout was made by BowelScreen over a failed investigation procedure while a number of further claims have been taken against the service arising from cases of misdiagnosis carried out at Wexford General Hospital, it has been reported.

Earlier this year, an external review revealed that 13 bowel cancers were missed at Wexford General Hospital and despite repeated alerts by a member of staff, there was no action to recall patients who were wrongly given the all clear for a year. In January 2017, it emerged that a review of 615 cases and a recall of patients found 13 probable cancers were missed by one doctor. One patient died before the review which covered the period March 2013 to November 2014. The doctor who carried out the colonscopies went on leave in 2015. Six of the patients were from Wexford and seven from Carlow-Kilkenny.

The compensation settlement which was covered by a confidentiality agreement, arose out of a failure to detect cancer through a colonoscopy. It is understood the confidentiality was requested by the patient who was receiving ongoing treatment.

BowelScreen which started in 2012 aims to find bowel cancer at an early stage in people who have no symptoms in the 60-69 age group.