Sligo Patients Fears Over Tallaght X-Ray Scandal

Several hundred patients from Sligo and the Northwest are now understood to be caught up in the Tallaght Hospital X-Ray scandal which was revealed to the general public late yesterday afternoon.

It was stated that because of the latest debacle to hit the health service, over 57,000 essential x-rays had not been reviewed by a radiological consultant. It has also been confirmed that a patient died and another is being treated for cancer, after the major blunder at the Dublin hospital. The unreviewed tens of thousands of x-rays of adult patients, taken between 2005 and the end of last year.

A health source confirmed to SLIGO TODAY that possibly hundreds of patients who had to travel to the Tallaght hospital from Sligo and the Northwest for specialist x-rays across a broad spectrum of illnesses will now have to wait to be contacted by the hospital authorities.

In excess of 38,000 of the x-rays in question have already been reviewed and patients affected have been contacted. The remaining 20,000 cases should be completed within the next two weeks. The Health Service Executive is to meet management at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin today to see how the review of these x-rays can be concluded as quickly as possible.

In a statement early today, Wednesday 10th march, the HSE said Dr Barry White, the executive's National Director of Quality and Clinical Care and Dr Risteárd Ó Laoide, Consultant Radiologist at St Vincent's Hospital, and other senior HSE personnel will attend the hospital to ensure that the processes underway to review outstanding x-rays are operating to maximum capacity.

Despite opposition calls for her immediate resignation, the Health Minister, Mary Harney, said the priority now is that the remainder of the backlog of x-rays be cleared, so that concerned patients could be reassured as soon as possible. She said, ''“Patients have a right to expect the highest standards of diagnosis and treatment at all stages of their care in hospital. In particular, patients are entitled to expect that clinical standards in radiology are consistently implemented in our hospitals.

''In this instance, the hospital management identified a practice that was below the clinical standards we expect. The priority now is that the remainder of the backlog of X-Rays is cleared, so that concerned patients can be reassured as soon as possible.'' the minister concluded.

It has emerged this morning that the problem was known as far back as last summer. The new CEO ordered an investigation in December 2009 and the senior Consultant Radiologist resigned in January 2010.

A patient Helpline has been set up, the number is 1-800-283 059 and will be open from 9am to 5pm today.(Wed 10 Mar)