Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I mentioned in a radio interview earlier today, I was first informed of this issue this morning and may not have all the information. Indeed, I am not sure anybody does have all the information. However, I certainly will provide whatever information I do have.

As I understand, in 2013 and 2014 questions were raised by clinicians working in our acute hospitals regarding the work of three locum or temporary radiologists. The hospitals involved were Bantry, Kerry and Cavan-Monaghan. It is not believed that the locum or temporary consultants are linked in any way. These three reviews in the three hospitals have been completed and all patients who required follow-up investigations have been contacted. The HSE has provided assurance that if patients at these hospitals have not been contacted by the hospital or their GP already, they have no cause for concern.

I understand a significant number of X-rays - in the thousands, as Deputy Naughten noted - were reviewed and only a small fraction, 100 or so, required follow-up and a repeat scan. Regrettably, one incident of delayed diagnosis has been confirmed. The HSE is following up appropriately with the patient and will provide whatever support is necessary. There is full and open disclosure, in line with policy.

As part of the HSE's risk assessment process, a review may require an audit of work carried out by a locum consultant in other hospitals. As two of the locum consultants also carried out some work in other hospitals, reviews in those hospitals are being undertaken.

In the case of two hospitals, Wexford and Roscommon, I understand that no patient safety concerns have been identified. Drogheda and Connolly hospitals are currently carrying out a preliminary audit over a short defined period to identify any possible errors or safety concerns. This preliminary work is being undertaken to provide assurance to patients that their X-rays or scans have been correctly assessed and reported. In both cases, it involved somebody who worked in those hospitals for a four-week period in 2013. Reviews will be necessary in a number of other hospitals where the consultants also worked.

I have been assured by the HSE that none of the locums involved is currently working in any Irish hospital and reports, as appropriate, have been made to the Medical Council. The reviews were carried out in line with the HSE safety incident management policy and the faculty of radiologists quality assurance guidelines. All cases have been managed, escalated and reported in accordance with the HSE safety incident management policy. Where further action was recommended, patients have been supported.

Radiological services will be improved through the new hospital groups. Within groups, a networked approach will be adopted, allowing the major centres to direct and manage services. It will also allow for greater quality control, quality assurance and frequent audits to pick up errors and identify patterns of poor performance.

I would encourage Members to know all the facts - I do not know them all yet - before jumping to conclusions and calling for heads or assuming that people have done wrong when that is yet proven. As Deputy O'Dowd pointed out, even the best radiologist in the world will have an error rate of 2%. When one gets two radiologists together to look at the same scan, they do not always agree. No matter what guidelines or procedures are in place or what assurances may have been given in the past, we will always have errors. That is why we must have audits regularly, we must have reviews and why sometimes we have to recall patients, which is what has occurred in this case. So far, of 5,000 or more scans reviewed, only one delayed diagnosis has been identified and that relates to only one of the three consultants. That is an enormous tragedy and I feel for the person involved. They will have the full support of the HSE in getting their treatment and are getting that now. What we have is well below the error rate of 2% so far. Things may change, more things may happen and there may be more information in the future. The facts of this are only emerging but let us stick to the facts and not jump to conclusions or start hanging people or calling for various actions to happen before we know everything that happened.

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