Consultant radiologists sent more than 40 letters to management at Tallaght hospital in Dublin expressing concern at the "growing delay" in reporting on X-rays, the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association has said.
The organisation was responding to yesterday's disclosure that almost 58,000 X-rays taken over a four-year period were never reviewed by a consultant radiologist. It said it did not believe the HSE was the "appropriate" body to carry out a review of what had happened.
It said it "shared the concerns" of the adult patients whose diagnosis was delayed over the past four years in Tallaght hospital. The association said there had been no delays in the reporting of children’s X-rays.
The IHCA said it was "important to note that Tallaght is the second busiest of the Dublin teaching hospitals".
It had just seven consultant radiologists, which was "much less" than any of the other teaching hospitals.
"The accepted and recommended standard is that Tallaght should have eighteen consultant radiologists for the volume of work it is required to deliver."
The organisation said consultant radiologists, both individually and collectively, had brought the "growing delay" in reporting X-rays to the attention of hospital management over the past number of years.
"In excess of 40 letters were written to Hospital management about this matter by the radiologists.
"The Health Service Executive has responsibility for adequately funding our public hospitals. It is also responsible for deciding on staffing levels, particularly at Consultant level. It also receives monthly details of the activity in each of our public hospitals. Given its own responsibilities in this matter, the IHCA does not believe that the HSE is the appropriate agency to review the history of this unfortunate development."