Now it seems that 58,000 X-rays taken in Tallaght hospital were not reviewed by a consultant radiologist, and two patients – so far – received a delayed diagnosis as a result. One has since died and the other is now being treated for cancer.
Tens of thousands of X-rays taken during the period between 2005 and the end of 2009 were affected due to “systemic and process failures” according to hospital chief executive designate Professor Kevin Conlon, quoted in today’s media reports.
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13 comments:
Delayed diagnoses, Long waiting periods. What's the matter with you pe ople. Haven't you any idea how much of their time radiologists need to spend on ancillary activities such as improving their golf handicap and the perusal of Boating Weekly not to mention the inevitable plop (as it drops through the letterbox) of Property News rubber banded to Car Magazine.
Cut them some slack I say oh and posting them some asbestos is a great way to register your discontent. Ponyboy
A few years ago, the German ambassador, said he was shocked when Irish hospital consultants refused a pay rise to €250,000 a year as it was ‘Mickey mouse money.’
It’s even more of an insult, that they are doing such a poor job for their inflated wages.
That's right Ponyboy - they do have to prioritise, after all.
58,000! Thats surreal. Am I the only one who thinks such a figure says it all about this country? How could the system be so wrong? Why are consultants percieved as something above the rest of the population? Why not just close the country and let some other juristiction run things? Its a dump......
Dakota
Hi GM, informative blog.
@ Ponyboy, LOL here, class, well it's either that or cry, and the sad thing is you are probably spot on with your assessment.
@Dakota, there is some joke that goes what's the difference between god and a consultant? god knows she/he/it (actually I'm an atheist) is not a consultant, but a consultant ... anyway..
58,000 isn't surreal..it's negligence...RTE are reporting it as a blunder..as if Shay Given had mistimed a clearance!! Its the same auld story, 'professionals' (not all ) blagging the people while lining their pockets. Seems to me that the country is rushing to one last hurrah ,one last gasp Celtic Tiger push before extinction, before the whole country collapses into a decades long morass that even Iceland would be shocked at! The gardai are already stretched with anti-social behaviour..etc..etc..etc, (a couple of listens to Joe Duffy says it all) what will happen when the jobs market completely collapses?
this is aGOOBOO MR GM only in oirland you say,it seems the masters of kindergarten world over there need some serious adult supervision at all levels to help them get their shit together, over paying them obviously doesnt help it didnt help at the central bank either, these clowns make irl the jokeshop of the century its time to invite the brits to invade oirland and remove all first generation jumpup chancers with oodles of degrees in positions of responsibility and bring in rational qualified people from abroad CHEERIO MR GM
As Anna> pointed out, consultants considered €250,000 a year "Mickey Mouse" money a couple of years ago. So - overpaying them certainly doesn't help, Mr BH. And as you and Dakota imply - maybe there's some kind of inherent inability in the competence of our leaders. Maybe PB's direct action ploy might be worth a shot. Ella, thanks for the joke (if it was a joke as far as consultants are concerned), and Anon: you are right - Packie B's slip-ups are the correct definitions of "blunders".
Lest we forget
1) Ireland has the Lowest cancer survival rates in Europe.
2) West of Ireland has the lowest cancer survival rates within Ireland
Over the last few years World Class cancer facility was opened at Sligo hospital- seems it’s now disused. Sick patients are told to go on a 100 mile trip to Galway hospital, in the interests of ‘cost cutting’ (this heartless measure was actually Introduced Before the economy collapsed). Donegal cancer sufferers often have to get treatment in Dublin.
So even if you Ever did manage to see a specialist and get X rays done- they might just be disregarded. In a real country the Health Minister would resign.
Oh, I Must be fair- she probably doesn’t know what’s going on- She was pictured in the morning paper, a t a 5 Star hotel in New Zealand, with her husband.
But then I read further: Mary Harney was told of this TWO years ago. Well she must have had far more important things to do 2 years ago than launch an investigation, sack a few people, see proper procedures are put in place, get all the people X rayed immediately re-called for more tests etc…
Probably just busy with consultant’s pay.
In 2009, certain well paid people at the top of the hospital skills tree said, due to the Huge hole in public finances, they Would take a pay cut of around 5%*. THEN they awarded themselves a pay Increase of approx 10%* or more. So their pay cut ended up with their hefty pay being increased by around 5% *
(* I can't remember the extra %’s but you get the picture)
This country never changes, never changed, is was and always will be a kip. The personalities may change but the framework does not! I still dont understand how such a figure of 58,000 x rays not viewed by a consultant radiologist is possible. How is that POSSIBLE?? Then again with all that goes on below the surface of apperance in Eire......
Is there still any other option but to close the country down? Eire has too many sharks and not enough water!
Dakota
Watch out for the sequel to this;1st of all in order to get an (un scanned ) X ray in the first place, you obviously need to have your referrl letter Opened and Read:
Today's Irish Times
"The Tallaght GP and Trinity College Dublin public health specialist who first drew attention to the failure to review large numbers of X-rays in Tallaght hospital has also revealed a large number of referral letters were not processed.
Prof Tom O’Dowd said in his estimation roughly 30,000 were left lying around “unopened and unanswered”.
He said the referral letters are a “more serious issue” than the x-rays and mark a “major dereliction of duty” which “expose the hospital to long-term legal consequences”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland Prof O’Dowd said the unopened letters would have contained information about patients that may have led to cancers or neurological conditions being left undiagnosed and patients “would have a very good case for calling the hospital to account”, he said."
And this is just in ONE, hospital, albeit one of the biggest and newest in the state,.
I found this a resignation petition link-but it seem old, in fact there are Several calls for her resignation going back a number of years: 23 Sep 2008 ... http://www.petitiononline.com/harneygo/petition.html
Even the most steely Minister may resign, as they might just realise they will harm their buddies in FF, by staying .As above link may be inactive, I posted my resignation suggestion to this one:
Mary Harney - Minister for Health and Children - For a clinic appointment at Rathcoole Lucan.
www.maryharney.ie/
Would anyone else like to drop a similar note?
Doesn’t have to be lengthy, EG,”Resign Now, there’s also the big issue of 30,000+ Unopened GP referral letters in Tallaght hospital, never mind all the preceding scandals.”
I think I am one of those people who was not checked properly,Where do I check for other hospitals and is there a chance of compensation.
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