Hundreds of scans reviewed at Letterkenny hospital after 37% error rate identified in consultant’s work

Hundreds of scans are being reviewed at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) after an internal check found more than one-third of a locum radiologist’s work contained errors.

The locum consultant’s contract was terminated within 10 days as a result of concerns raised about the standard of their work, according to Saolta University Health Care group, which includes the Co Donegal hospital.

The senior member of staff who identified issues with the locum’s work after their departure complained to management about its initial failure to review scans, according to internal correspondence seen by The Irish Times.

In October, senior hospital staff and local GPs called for an external inquiry into the hospital, claiming it is close to collapse. Among the problems it faces are extreme difficulties in recruiting and retaining senior medical staff.

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In relation to the review of scans, a Saolta spokesman said: “A full review of the relevant clinician’s work is under way to provide assurance regarding patient safety.”

The consultant worked in the hospital for seven days, he pointed out.

The hospital quality and patient safety service has a “clear pathway” for addressing concerns about clinical care, which is currently being followed, the spokesman added. “In the event that any cases of misdiagnosis come to light patients will be contacted with full open disclosure and appropriate arrangements put in place for follow up care, in accordance with national policy.”

After the locum’s contract was terminated, a senior consultant at LUH asked the hospital and Saolta management to review the person’s work. The consultant claimed, in correspondence seen by The Irish Times, that he did not get a reply. He then reviewed the CT scans performed by the locum and found an error rate of 37 per cent.

According to the consultant, he received no response when he brought this to the attention of hospital management. “To date, I have not received a reply from management regarding the review of 238 X-rays and 66 ultrasound scans performed by this radiologist,” the letter sent to management in October said.

Having “lost all hope” of the department being fully led by consultants, he said an external review of management of the radiology department was now required.

In separate letters to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly last month, 11 consultants at the hospital and almost 80 local GPs warned that the hospital is in crisis and patients attending it are at clinical risk.

Last week, HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster agreed to deploy a performance management team to Letterkenny, to examine both hospital and community services.

“We need to see if we can arrive at a collective agreement between GPs, consultants and staff in the community and hospitals as to the best we can do with what we have. There is room for improvement in that regard,” Mr Gloster told the Oireachtas health committee.