No new cases of missed diagnosis in Kerry scans review

No new cases of missed or delayed diagnosis emerged in the past week as a review of more than 46,000 scans at University Hospital Kerry continues.

While 24 additional patients were recalled for repeat imaging — bringing the total number of recalls to 204 — the number of missed/delayed diagnosis cases remains at 10. None of those recalled in the past week required further investigation.

To date, 40,490 images have been reviewed from a total of 46,235. The number of patients whose imaging has been reviewed is 24,049, accounting for almost 90% of 26,756 individual patients.

The review of images taken between March 2016 and July 2017 began following three cases of serious, delayed diagnosis coming to light.

It was later confirmed that the employee in question was a locum consultant radiologist who no longer works at the hospital.

Patients whose scans are being re-examined are from Kerry, north Cork, and south Limerick.

The look-back — which involves up to a dozen consultants, including a number of external doctors — is being conducted in reverse order chronologically, from July 2017 back to March 2016.

Some 87.5% of the review is complete.