Unreported X-rays at Beaumont triple, report finds

THE NUMBER of unreported X-rays at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin has more than tripled since 2008, according to a report released by the HSE yesterday.

The Report of the HSE National Radiology Survey found 15 of the State’s hospitals had a backlog of almost 34,000 unreported X-rays from 2008 to 2010.

The survey was triggered after the publication of the Hayes report, which found nearly 58,000 X-rays went unreported at Tallaght hospital from 2006 to 2009.

Yesterday’s report found in 2008, some 983 X-rays had not been reported on by radiologists. at Beaumont Hospital. The figure rose to 3,144 in 2010.

Unreported chest X-rays rose from just under 500 to 1,637 and fracture and orthopaedic images went up from 27 in 2009 to 451 this year. Unreported emergency department images also saw an increase from 255 in 2008 to 1,056 in 2010.

Some 140 cross sectional images, which included CT and MRI scans often related to cancer diagnosis, went unreported in 2008. The figure was nil for 2010.

Cork University Hospital had the highest number of unreported X-rays in 2008 with 5,309. But it declined to 605 in 2010.

Figures for Waterford Regional had also dropped; from a high of 3,495 in 2008 to 1,251 in 2010 for all images. Its figures included 175 unreported cross sectional images in 2009 and 35 for 2010.

Unreported X-rays at the Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown West Dublin were also high, but had declined from 2,118 in 2008 to 319 this year. The Midlands Regional Hospital at Tullamore had almost 3,000 X-rays in 2009 and 1,129 in 2010.

There were also a “small number” of lost X-rays, the report said, though it did not outline which hospitals were involved.

“In all instances these cases have been resolved without any harm having occurred,” the report said.

Out of all the unreported X-rays in the survey, there were no instances of patient harm reported to the HSE, it added. But at one hospital, an unreported X-ray did cause patient harm as it resulted in an instance of delayed cancer diagnosis. This was not included in the survey because it was already being investigated before the survey was undertaken.

“This case has been investigated and fully communicated to the patient,” the report said.

The HSE declined to name the hospital involved, though it is understood the case has already been in the public domain.

In a statement yesterday, the HSE said the work of addressing the radiology backlog across the system was complete.

All X-rays had been appropriately reported on and hospitals had put in place measures to prevent the recurrence of backlogs, it said.