Lives put at risk
THE breast cancer scandal at NHS Tayside has badly undermined faith in the health service.
The board decided to reduce chemotherapy doses to 304 patients, 14 of whom later died, from December 2016 to reduce side effects.
An expert report has concluded this meant there was an increased risk of recurrence for one patient per year as a result. That is one per year too many.
And despite the fact the move brought Tayside out of line with the rest of Scotland, the report also found it was done without “challenge or consultation”. It’s vital every possible lesson is learnt from the shambles.
AbOUT one breast cancer patient a year is thought to have suffered an adverse outcome from a chemotherapy underdosing regime at NHS Tayside, it emerged yesterday.
A report published by the Immediate Review Group concluded there was a risk of harm to between one and two per cent of affected patients.
About 300 women are understood to have received smaller doses since NHS Tayside took the decision to reduce them by 25 per cent in 2016.
The Record told earlier this month how the health board had been ordered to improve treatment after it was discovered its breast oncology consultants used smaller doses of some drugs than in the rest of Scotland.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood said yesterday: “NHS Tayside has been in contact with all patients affected to offer them an appointment with an oncologist.”
Professor Peter Stonebridge, acting medical director at NHS Tayside, said the board fully accepted the findings of the IRG report and had taken “immediate action”.
He added: “The key change is that we have adjusted the breast cancer chemotherapy dose regime to make sure patients in Tayside are offered the same as those in the rest of Scotland.”
Ashleigh Simpson, of breast Cancer Care and breast Cancer Now, said: “For the small number of patients who may have benefited from a higher dose, this variation in practice remains completely unacceptable.”