GPs fear serious illnessesmay have been missed
Patients in Highland scan scare face recall
Published:
Hundreds of north ultrasound patients could be asked to return to hospital for a repeat scan amid concerns that a serious illness may not have been detected during their original check.
Letters will be sent to up to 400 NHS Highland patients treated at Lorn and the Isles Hospital at Oban between October 2007 and May this year.
The need to repeat the scans emerged as experts carried out an urgent review of the X-rays of 1,700 patients assessed at the hospital.
NHS Highland set up a critical-incident review team in June following an investigation into issues surrounding Dr James Murray, who worked as a locum radiologist at Oban from October last year until May.
He resigned after he was named as the consultant at the centre of a scandal in the Republic of Ireland.
Thousands of chest X-rays are being re-examined there after it emerged that four patients died after being given the all-clear for lung cancer.
NHS Highland said yesterday its review would check that no patient had any illness or injury that should have been identified earlier.
The checks are being made in response to a small number of concerns raised by Argyll GPs.
A spokeswoman said NHS Highland had identified, as part of the X-ray review, about 400 patients who had an ultrasound examination at the hospital.
“We have asked the referring doctors to identify patients who would not benefit from having a scan repeated and have started sending letters to the remaining patients to invite them to have another scan,” she said.
Medical director Ian Bashford, chairman of the critical-incident review team based at NHS Highland HQ in Inverness, said: “Although we had only a few concerns reported, we are taking action to ensure no patient has undiagnosed disease, including offering to repeat scans.
“We have provided additional appointments with the support of our staff and are working to review all of these patients as quickly as possible.”
A consultant radiologist is making swift progress at reviewing the X-ray images. Any issues identified will be passed to the patient’s referring clinician so they can check that the patient is receiving the appropriate care.
Mid Argyll GP Mark Simpson, who called in June for ultrasound scans to be included in the review, said: “As far as I and my colleagues are concerned, we are pleased that such a thorough and complete review is being carried out.”
Highland Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon said: “It is very worrying for patients who may have had an ultrasound at that time and who now have to face some degree of uncertainty as to the interpretation or diagnosis of these scans.
“I hope that NHS Highland will contact patients and address this issue with as much haste as possible.”
The hotline for concerned patients is 08000 282836.
Readers' Comments