Harney and Barringtons in review talks
Talks took place in Dublin at the minister’s request after the hospital agreed to suspend breast cancer services last week pending the results of the review. The concerns centre on 10 sample cases.
About 1,000 files dating back to 2003, however, will have to be re-examined to ensure other mistakes were not made.
Barringtons managing director Denis Cahalane said after the meeting that it had been very positive for both sides.
“We both aired our views and agreed an independent review should take place in the coming weeks,” said Mr Cahalane.
He said the details of how the review would be conducted would be worked out in the coming days.
Attorney General Paul Gallagher was consulted about the meeting as Barringtons is a private hospital and the minister has no clear powers to put a halt to services or send in external experts to review the files without the management’s consent.
Barringtons management are understood to have consulted their solicitors for advice as to the legal and liability issues that could arise if the review team finds fault with the hospital or any members of its staff. It is expected further negotiations will take place between legal representatives for both sides.
Ms Harney sought the suspension of services at the Limerick city hospital after the director of public cancer services in the midwest, Professor Rajnish Gupta, passed on 10 sample cases of patients who came into his care after attending Barringtons.
She passed those files on to Professor Arnie Hill, head of surgery at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, for his opinion and he supplied a report in which, the minister said, he expressed “very serious concerns”.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund has, however, played down reports it is to review its arrangements with Barringtons, which it uses to treat public patients waiting long periods for various surgical and medical procedures, not including cancer.
The hospital has received 2,350 referrals since January 2006 for procedures in specialist areas including orthopaedics, urology, opthalmology, gynaecology, ENT and dentistry. A statement from the fund said it was “monitoring the recent developments at Barringtons Hospital”. It added: “The fund will continue to work to ensure patient safety.”
Meanwhile, the Health Service Executive has said about 3,000 mammograms and 2,500 breast ultrasounds, which were conducted at the Midland Regional
Hospital in Portlaoise, will be reviewed after concerns were raised by a surgeon about the accuracy of readings. A consultant radiologist has been placed on administrative leave pending the review, which is to be completed within a month.
The executive also confirmed a consultant pathologist who worked in two labs at the centre of test result blunders involving Barringtons patients has resigned. The consultant was working as a locum at Cork University Hospital since July and before that worked at University College Hospital Galway where the minister has ordered an investigation.
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