Report: Hospital missed breast cancer diagnosis twice

A report into a missed diagnosis of breast cancer for a woman at University Hospital Galway has said the diagnosis was missed on two occasions in the case of the woman, known as Ms A.

She had been a patient at Barrington’s Hospital, Limerick and her cytology samples were analysed in UHG.

The independent report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) finds that Ms A’s diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer was significantly delayed by the errors.

The doctor who was the main subject of the HIQA investigation was a locum consultant, and is no longer working in Ireland.

He has been referred to the Medical Council.

Mary Harney, Minister for Health and Children, apologised to Ms. A for what had happened.

She said: "The system’s over-reliance on locums, and the procedures used in recruiting them, is now being addressed by the HSE."