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WEXFORD GENERAL HOSPITAL (WGH) has found issues with patients who have been recalled following issues with colonoscopy examinations.
This follows news last week that an investigation, which relates to one consultant, was being carried out into more than 500 patients who underwent colonoscopies at the hospital in 2013 and 2014.
The review was initiated after two cases of cancer emerged in patients who had undergone colonoscopy screenings. It had initially covered 280 patients with a further 331 patients then later recalled.
The Irish Times is reporting today that at least five of those recalled by the hospital have suspected cases of cancer.
This follows news last week that misreading of an X-ray had led to a delayed cancer diagnosis for a patient.
Further tests
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland radio programme this morning, Kenneth Mealy, a consultant surgeon at WGH, said that issues had been found in a “small number of patients”.
Mealy said that the difficulty was with the “visual documentation of completeness” being less than satisfactory in 118 cases.
We are proceeding on the basis that the initial two cancers may have been missed at the original colonoscopy and that is why we have initiated this review process so that we can be absolutely sure that we are offering patients colonoscopies of the highest quality.
He said that patients being recalled would be given appointments at the hospital within six weeks.
How many cases might have been missed?
Figures for the number of cases of cancer that have emerged in those who have been recalled are not officially available.
On this, Mealy said that the hospital was currently operating an “open disclosure policy” with patients and their families and that at this stage it was not possible to give an accurate figure.
“I think a lot of patients are going through an anxious and difficult time and the number will vary depending on the tests that need to be done. So if we find a patient who has a polyp, tests need to be carried out to see if its a cancer or if it’s a harmless polyp,” he said.
The numbers are going to vary and I think that at the end of this process we will be indicating very clearly the number of cancers that may or may not have been missed.
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Dear HSE, when employing people, please check that they didn’t win their credentials in a raffle.
Thanks.
Terrified Wexford Taxpayer.
The real question is why no well trained doctors are applying for these jobs.
It may be popular to bash consultants, but having well trained ones is important – to minimise mistakes.
There are hundreds of unfilled consultant jobs, that no suitably qualifed has applied for.
Feel really sorry for these people. You really trust what they tell you when you get your results. Having said that, having worked in many hospitals in Ireland and abroad, there are many doctors out there that I wouldn’t fully trust
Colonoscopy these days is a standard day procedure, the purpose is to look for signs of cancer and other bowel irregularities and treat accordingly. It is inconceivable that the doctors and hospital staff do not know what they are looking for.
Why doesn’t the Department of Health just separate Diagnostics from Treatment?
Pay peanuts get monkeys! I pray to God a close family member isn’t one of these statistics. Severe shortcomings in her care in 2013.
I has an appointment a few months ago for a lump in my temple that swells up and down and was very painful, i had been sent to Waterford hospital and received an ultrasound but wasn’t told what the issue was, i was just given a referral appointment in wgh with mr mealy and when i arrived he asked my name and what was wrong i had tried to briefly explain but after literally 30 seconds he proceeded to state that my symptoms don’t make sense and that i was imagining these symptoms, and began to get very patronising when i didn’t want to be brushed off, his exact words were “we as doctors look for ‘real’ symptoms and make a diagnosis” he then said that he was reassuring me that it was nothing sinister yet he had never even examined me or asked any questions about the lump and swelling. He got out of his seat came around the desk sat on the edge and leaned in at me while speaking to me, he is reckless and extremely unprofessional with a very bad attitude and its no wonder he is head of a department that has misdiagnosed these people
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