A REVIEW of staffing levels in the radiology departments of all hospitals in the northeast is now taking place, it emerged yesterday.
The news came a day after a Health Service Executive (HSE) review of the work of a locum consultant radiologist who worked at hospitals in Navan and Drogheda in 2006 and 2007 found nine patients had their diagnosis of lung cancer delayed by periods from five weeks to 14 months. Eight of them are dead.
The review also found "major misreports without clinical harm" were made in the cases of another 270 patients.
The locum consultant who made the errors is in his 70s and he suggested his overall workload, his work environment and his case mix were contributory factors.
The review itself said 10 consultant radiologists have to deal with over 200,000 radiological examinations in Louth/Meath each year, but did not comment on whether this was a safe workload.
Asked yesterday if staffing levels in radiology in the region were sufficient to prevent more mistakes being made, the HSE confirmed a review was now taking place of the radiology workforce, their workload, present radiology throughput and demand, and waiting times locally for radiological investigation.
The review is being conducted by HSE staff in conjunction with Teamwork consultants, and they will provide an initial plan next month.
Teamwork previously provided a report in 2006 on the reorganisation of hospital services in the northeast and much of the report remains to be implemented.
The HSE said the new review would also examine the present system of clinical risk management, communications and processes with a view to developing an agreed programme to improve clinical governance, and therefore patient safety and quality of care.
A previous review of radiology in Louth/Meath hospitals was conducted for the HSE in 2006 by Conal Devine, a former director of industrial relations at the Irish Medical Organisation.
A number of recommendations were made in the report relating to staffing levels, consultant involvement in management and other governance issues. It is, therefore, not clear why the HSE now needs another review.
