Surge in patients seeking medical records

Cancer doctors have witnessed an escalation in the number of concerned patients seeking access to their medical files, as the fallout from the CervicalCheck scandal continues.

Séamus O’Reilly, a consultant medical oncologist in the South/Southwest Hospital Group, said colleagues around the country have noted heightened concerns across all cancers, with patients looking to review results, going back years in some cases.

This was creating a significant additional workload, in terms of the administrative logistics of retrieving and photocopying patient files, Prof O’Reilly said.