Expert Lawyers Welcome Investigations Into Standards

By Helen MacGregor

Hundreds of women have been recalled to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital following concerns over the way their breast cancer consultations were carried out.

Specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell say the patients deserve answers as quickly as possible after the hospital announced the assessments, “potentially did not meet our usual high standards”. The matter is now the subject of two investigations.

Consultants who run the breast clinic raised the alarm because they were unhappy with the way a junior doctor conducted his initial assessment of some of the women.

The doctor, who no longer works at the hospital, is now being investigated by the General Medical Council and the Trust has asked the Royal College of Surgeons to help in a review.

A total of 272 women who attended the hospital’s breast clinic between January 2011 and July 2012 and were told there was no need for a follow-up appointment, are now being invited back for a further consultation.

Alison Eddy, a Partner and Head of Medical Law and Patients’ Rights at Irwin Mitchell’s London office, said: “We are deeply concerned to hear that so many women have been recalled to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital because the standard of breast cancer assessments may not have been acceptable.

“These were vulnerable women who believed their care was in the best possible hands but it appears this was not the case and they now deserve answers as quickly as possible about why.

“We welcome the investigations and hope that lessons are learnt from any failings identified to protect patient safety in the future and prevent a similar incident from occurring again.”

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