Radiologist in Kerry cancer misdiagnosis row registered to work in UK

THE woman doctor at the centre of the major review of scans at University Hospital Kerry registered to practise in Britain last week, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.

A massive review of 46,000 reports signed off by the Irish radiologist between May 2016 and July 2017 was prompted after seven serious cancer misdiagnoses came to light this summer.

A team of eight radiologists are now halfway through a reassessment of the scans.

So far, 34 people have been re-called and told their serious

Illness not detected in 34 people’s scan ‘Patients are the priority here’

illness was not detected in their initial scans.

The radiologist had been working as a locum on a fixedterm contract at the hospital and was one of five radiologists working at UHK. She worked in the Mater Hospital for a time in 2006. Previously she worked in the UK, having first been registered with a licence to practise there in 2009; she relinquished her UK registration in August 2013. She has also worked in Canada.

A spokesman for the South/ South West Hospital Group, of which UHK is a part, said the radiologist resigned from her post after being placed on administrative leave when the review commenced.

‘The review was initiated following the notification of three serious reportable events over the course of the summer. The radiologist was placed on administrative leave and subsequently resigned from their post.’ Questions have been raised as to how the radiologist was able to complete 3,000 reviews per month, or 150 per day, without flags being raised. A complaint against the radiologist has been made by the HSE to the Medical Council of Ireland which is investigating the matter.

When asked by the MoS what would be considered a normal amount of scans for a radiologist to review the spokesman declined to give a figure. However, the MoS has established that a normal workload would be between 10,000 and 15,000 per year, or 1,000 to 1,200 per month.

‘Patients are the priority and the clear focus at this time is to successfully complete the lookback audit. The matter of radiology workload, which is complex will be reviewed in the medium term.’

Sources at the hospital have said the radiologist was ‘difficult to work with’.

In recent years a number of concerns have been raised about the radiology department. In 2011, two local TDs raised issues in the Dáil. One was in relation to ‘an impending crisis in radiologist staffing at Kerry General’, while the other alleged that a cancer diagnosis had been delayed by eight months after a chest Xray was misread. The then-health minister James Reilly referred both issues to the HSE rather than making a statement to the Dáil.

In 2014 a woman who had had a breast cancer misdiagnosis was given assurances that systems failings in the radiology department would be fixed after settling her case against the hospital. The woman’s solicitor said the reason she had taken the case was to prevent other misdiagnoses.

Concerns had been raised about staffing levels in the radiology department in November 2016 by union officials. Siptu health divisional organiser Paul Bell said the radiology department was a ‘very unhappy place to work’.

A helpline, 1800 742 9000, has been established for people who may have concerns.