Doctor ‘didn’t see things that were on scans’

A consultant radiologist demonstrated a pattern of “not seeing things that are there,” an expert witness has told a Medical Council inquiry.

Additionally, the expert witness claimed the radiologist’s lack of understanding regarding CT scans amounted to poor professional performance.

The inquiry into a consultant radiologist who allegedly made serious errors in relation to a number of his CT scan reports while working at Bantry General Hospital yesterday continued at the Medical Council’s headquarters in Dublin.

Dawar Siddiqi, who worked as a locum consultant radiologist at Bantry General Hospital between May and September 2013, faces an allegation of poor professional performance. Specifically, it is alleged that Dr Siddiqi made serious errors in one or more of some 22 cases identified by an expert, and that his rate of error regarding these was unacceptably high.

Expert witness Peter Ellis, who reviewed 62 CT scan reports by Dr Siddiqi for the Medical Council, expressed concern about 22 of these reports. Yesterday, Dr Ellis continued to go through his findings for each of the cases, which contrasted with the CT reports made by Dr Siddiqi.

In one case, Dr Siddiqi reported that a patient’s CT scan showed evidence of a brain haemorrhage. However, Dr Ellis said he did not see evidence of such a haemorrhage. In another case, Dr Siddiqi reported that the CT scan showed a lung tumour. However, Dr Ellis said he does not agree with this finding and claimed Dr Siddiqi’s finding constituted a serious error.

In a further case, Dr Siddiqi reported that several abnormalities on the patient’s liver were metastases, but Dr Ellis argued that further investigations were required in order to determine whether the abnormalities were cysts, or the more serious metastases.

Dr Ellis, a consultant radiologist from Belfast, told the inquiry yesterday that he would have greater concerns in some cases than in others.

However, referring to a case on the lower end of his concerns, he said: “It’s part of a pattern of not seeing things that are there.”

Dr Ellis, referring to Dr Siddiqi, said: ‘I think he’s demonstrated that he doesn’t understand some of the concepts that consultant radiologists are meant to understand. Taken as a whole, it demonstrates poor professional performance — whatever the mitigating factors.”

Dr Ellis said the 22 CT reports by Dr Siddiqi included “barn-door misses” as well as much more minor ones.

Dr Ellis admitted that there were many mitigating factors in Dr Siddiqi’s case.

“The risk factors for poor professional performance were very high in the environment you were in,” he said.

Dr Siddiqi, with an address in Cork, was hired as a locum consultant radiologist at Bantry General Hospital for the period between May and November 2013.

However, because of concerns from the hospital, he ceased working at Bantry in September 2013.

Dr Siddiqi, who denies the allegations, continued to defend himself before the inquiry yesterday.

Referring to the stressful, busy work environment and lack of support at Bantry during his time there, Dr Siddiqi admitted perhaps he should have left the job after two or three days, once he saw the working environment and understood the workload he was expected to take on.

The inquiry continues today.