Audit finds 34,000 X-rays never seen by a radiologist

A HSE audit has revealed that about 34,000 X-rays around the country were caught up in a backlog and had never been examined by a radiologist.

However the HSE says these are just 0.5% of the 2.5 million X-rays that were reported upon each year in the country’s 46 hospitals between 2008 and present.

When the HSE began its nationwide audit, following the Tallaght X-ray scandal last March, there was a backlog reported at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Connolly, Blanchardstown, Kerry General, Lourdes Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene, St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny, Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise and Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin.

There were also X-rays yet to be reported upon at Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, St Columcille’s Loughlinstown, Waterford Regional Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, Cork University Hospital, Temple Street Children’s Hospital, The Rotunda Hospital and Our Lady’s in Navan.

A HSE spokesman last night said: “No clinical incidents of patient harm (delayed or misdiagnosis) arose for patients as a consequence of the unreported X-rays. This indicates that while reporting practices in place were in some instances informal, hospitals were identifying low risk X-rays which were appropriately reviewed by clinicians other than radiologists.

“The work of addressing the radiology backlog across the system is now complete, all X-rays have been appropriately reported on and hospitals have put in place measures to prevent the recurrence of backlogs.

“The HSE is implementing the recommendations of Dr Maurice Hayes’ report on the accumulation of the backlog of unreported radiology in Tallaght Hospital. The lessons learned from the Hayes report and the national audit will contribute to improvements across the hospital system.”

In the aftermath of the Tallaght X-ray scandal, the HSE’s Quality and Clinical Care Directorate has established a National Clinical Programme for Radiology, aimed at improving quality and safety in radiology.

The programme sets out the circumstances where it is acceptable that X-rays are not reviewed by radiologists and instances where a radiologist’s report is a requirement.

The standard guidelines were circulated to all hospitals and all sites have now assured the HSE that they are in compliance with the new guidelines.