Complaints were made to the VHI last year about the quality of MRI scans being produced by Barringtons' private hospital in Limerick, it has been confirmed.
Correspondence seen by The Irish Timesshows the complaints were made by more than one doctor.
In one letter in January 2006, a doctor from the Mid-Western Radiology Group wrote to the VHI saying he had been asked to review many scans from Barringtons' MRI centre "and the diagnostic quality of the images is not what I would expect".
He asked what, if any, external quality control or audit did it subject the hospital's MRI centre to with regard to quality of imaging. Another letter, dated October 2006, indicates another doctor also raised similar concerns with the VHI.
The VHI, which covers patients treated at the hospital, said last night it plans to meet Barringtons' Hospital later this week to discuss a range of issues that had emerged in recent days.
Denis Cahalane, the managing director of Barringtons' Hospital, said he did not wish to comment on this matter.
Details of the complaints to the VHI in relation to Barringtons have come to light just days after it emerged that the Department of Health had put pressure on Barringtons' Hospital to stop treating breast cancer patients.
It made the request after an independent assessment of the records of 10 breast cancer patients treated there raised serious concerns about the way they were cared for.
The Minister for Health, Mary Harney, has now promised a review of the treatment of all breast cancer patients at the hospital since September 2003.
MRI scans are sophisticated X-rays used to detect tumours, among other things.
The VHI said that on foot of representations made to it in the last year in regard to MRI imaging, it had carried out clinical audits in a number of centres. These are understood to include Barringtons. "We are awaiting results of this process and will take any action necessary," it said.
"With respect to MRIs our focus is on obtaining quality, cost-effective healthcare for our members.
"Any representations that are made to us with respect to MRI services are taken seriously and we make adjustments to the MRI tender process to reflect such representations," it added.
"We are currently in the middle of an MRI tender process for outpatient services and as part of that process we are going to survey all MRI providers, including hospitals and standalone providers to obtain details of the qualifications, expertise, training of the radiologists involved in each centre and specific information on how the actual centres are run," it continued.
The VHI said it also plans to meet the Department of Health to discuss the issues which have arisen. "VHI Healthcare is neither a regulatory body nor a standard-setting body. However, with the rapid development of new private facilities, we are increasingly concerned about matters concerning quality of care for patients," it said.
It had, it added, already made strong representations to the Department of Health that all private hospitals be included in the Health Information and Quality Authority licensing regime. This has not happened.