Cancer misdiagnosis cases
Leading lawyers have expressed alarm after it emerged that at least three patients in a Welsh hospital were given a clean bill of health despite signs of cancer appearing in some tests.
Lindsay Wise, a specialist lawyer in Medical Law and Patients Rights at law firm Irwin Mitchell said: "This is an extremely serious situation. The hospital has a responsibility to its patients to ensure that it gives out correct test results. Medicine is not an area where errors can afford to be made.
“Misdiagnosis such as this can have a huge impact on the individuals and their families and though an investigation into how this happened is welcomed, time is of the essence in ensuring the patients concerned are identified, seen and treated without delay."
The patients, who were given the all clear at Wrexham Maelor Hospital in North Wales by pathologist and former trustee Dr Williams, are now being treated for cancer and a further 12 are being contacted.
The North East Wales NHS Trust has now set about investigating every tissue test, up to 4,500 cases, reported on by Dr Williams whom it is thought made the errors during April 2006 to September 2007 whilst working as a locum at the hospital.
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