THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) has decided to conduct a review of thousands of X-rays examined by a locum consultant who worked at a number of hospitals in the northeast region.
It is understood discussions on whether to conduct the review began within the HSE recently after it emerged that a small number of lung cancers may have been missed by the doctor when reading chest X-rays.
The locum worked for a period at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and Our Lady's Hospital in Navan.
Debate had been taking place on whether the number of X-ray reports over which concern had been expressed was too few to require a large-scale review of all X-rays reported on by the doctor over an extended period of time. But it is now understood that it was decided yesterday it was better to review all cases as a precautionary measure.
It is understood lung cancers may have been missed and therefore a diagnosis delayed in two or three lung cancer cases.
In its first statement on the matter yesterday, the HSE said: "At present we are liaising with external expert clinical input to determine what, if any, impact on patient care arose in this very small number of cases."
It did not say how many cases were involved or which hospitals the patients affected had attended. It indicated its priority was to contact patients first.
It stressed that individual diagnostic tests "are not the only means by which a patient's need for treatment is identified and dealt with". The HSE said the review had nothing to do with breast cancer tests, as had been suggested in some media reports.
"In order to try and allay some of the genuine anxiety that may exist, we can advise that the matters under consideration do not relate to breast services and do not relate to mammograms, ultrasounds, CT scans or MRI scans.
"We can also confirm that the tests in question were carried out in prior years and the specific circumstances do not apply to current operations," it added.
It is understood the locum no longer works in Drogheda or Navan.
Fine Gael's health spokesman Dr James Reilly said patients in the region should not be exposed to a prolonged period of uncertainty and anxiety, as transpired when breast cancer scans were being reviewed in Portlaoise.
He added that the list of places where patients' confidence in their diagnosis was being undermined continued to grow, and the HSE's response in this case must be considerably different from their response in Portlaoise and elsewhere. Sinn Féin's health spokesman and Cavan/Monaghan TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said although the HSE statement said a very small number of diagnostic tests were at issue, it did not state what type of tests these were.
"It is not clear if the HSE has contacted patients who may or may not be affected by this. We need clarity on that issue as soon as possible and I concur with the HSE when it states that the requirement to inform patients and their families must take precedence over all other considerations," he said.