Patient files at Letterkenny hospital under review due to concerns about consultant’s work

Locum consultant urologist was placed on leave in September and is now no longer working at hospital

Files on a number of patients at Letterkenny University Hospital in Co Donegal are being reviewed over concerns about the standard of a consultant’s work.

The locum consultant urologist was placed on leave in September after concerns came to light. The consultant is now no longer working at the hospital.

The Quality and Patient Safety service at the Saolta University Health Care group are now reviewing a number of cases where concerns about care of patients have been identified.

This is the second consultant to be discharged from the hospital in a matter of weeks over concerns about the standard of work being carried out.

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Hundreds of scans are still being reviewed at the hospital after an internal check found more than one-third of a locum radiologist’s work contained errors. The consultant’s contract was terminated as a result of concerns raised about the standard of their work.

A spokesperson for Saolta University Health Care group confirmed a second consultant left the hospital over their standard of work. The spokesperson stressed that the locum consultant urologist had met all the qualifying criteria for the post.

They also stated that anybody with concerns over their clinical care at the urology department following this incident will be given full open disclosure and arrangements made for follow up care.

It is not known how many patient cases are being reviewed as a result of the concerns.

The spokesperson said “Letterkenny University Hospital can confirm that a locum consultant urologist was placed on leave in early September and is no longer working in the hospital.

“The Saolta Group Quality and Patient Safety service are reviewing a number of cases where concerns about care have been identified.”

It was not disclosed by Saolta how long the locum consultant urologist was working at the hospital.