Relatives hit out at ‘insensitive’ care report

Patients and families have hit out after the review was circulated to NHS bosses but not made available to them.

Lee Dennis, who set up the NHS Tayside Cancer Care Support Group, said the report would do little to offer closure and claimed it is “insensitive, dispassionate, inaccurate and ill-advisedly self-exonerating”.

The report, dated August 5, was circulated to health chiefs early last week but The Courier has learned families of the patients were never told of its full findings.

Mrs Dennis said: “Dr Dunlop makes no attempt to sympathise with the patient body in the document, which reads as a hastily compiled showreel of meek and unverified excuses.”

NHS Tayside said the next of kin of the 14 patients were offered the opportunity to discuss their relative’s care with Dr Dunlop directly in April. A spokeswoman said: “Dr Dunlop sent NHS Tayside the formal commentary of his review in a letter via email on August 19. His letter restated the information already shared with families in April 2019.”

Doctors have repeatedly stated the decision to prescribe lower doses in Tayside was taken with the best interest of patients in mind.

One specialist said: “We’re so grateful for this report because it is the first time we’ve had someone come off the fence and say directly ‘we don’t think this treatment was linked to the deaths’.

“It’s a big relief for us because we’ve been wading through these reports for months but I am also aware this has been a really difficult time for patients and their families.

“This report absolutely scorches any implication that the deaths were in any way linked to treatment choices. I don’t know why it hasn’t been circulated more widely.”