Pathologist not struck off despite 50 errors

A PATHOLOGIST at the centre of a highly critical report that revealed a series of cancer misdiagnoses has been found guilty of professional misconduct but was not struck off the register.

The finding against Lebanese-born Dr Antoine Geagea, 59, was made yesterday by a Medical Council’s fitness-to-practise committee.

The charges against Dr Geagea included wrongly reporting a biopsy on a Tipperary woman, known as Patient A.

Patient A’s breast cancer was missed by an unnamed pathologist at University College Hospital Galway in September 2005 and by Dr Geagea in March 2007.

The misdiagnosis led to a report in July 2008 by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) that found 50 errors in a review of Dr Geagea’s work – a rate that was six times higher than normal.

Patient A was present at the two-day public hearing. Her beast cancer treatment was delayed by 18 months because of the two pathologists’ errors.

Dr Geagea, who was neither present nor represented at the hearing, had claimed there was “no disgraceful act on his part”.

The doctor, who lives in Finland, informed the committee by email that he was unable to attend the inquiry because of a medical condition.

The pathologist was found guilty of two charges of professional misconduct – that he erred in his reporting of one or more of the 50 cases identified in the HIQA report, including Patient A’s, and erred at a rate that fell seriously below the acceptable rate.

Inquiry chairman Dr Richard Brennan said the committee would be recommending to the council that the doctor be censured for his conduct that fell seriously short of what was expected from doctors.

Dr Brennan said the committee was also recommending that conditions be attached to the retention of his name in the register.

The doctor must not carry out non-gynaecological cytology or pathological work unless directly supervised by another consultant pathologist approved by the Medical Council.

He must work with a person nominated by the medical council to formulate and implement a professional development plan to address deficiencies in his practice.

The doctor must not practise medicine unless he provides medical reports from practitioners accepted by the council of his fitness to practise.

Dr Geagea must provide evidence to the council on ongoing and regular participation in continual medical education and continual professional development.

And he must be responsible for paying all of the costs associated with the implementation and compliance with the conditions.

The conditions will remain in place until the doctor satisfies the council that they can be safely removed.