Staffing levels and reporting backlogs in University Hospital Kerry’s radiology department remain a particular concern to the Health Information and Quality Authority.
A report by the health watchdog, published yesterday, presented findings from an announced inspection of the hospital last September.
The report highlights that the hospital’s radiology department, which was previously the focus of a major review, is understaffed and experiencing a backlog in reporting.
HIQA says it remains concerned about the radiologist consultant staffing compliment at the hospital.
It says UHK had been approved for five whole-time-equivalent consultant radiologists but at the time of inspection, only three were filled, one of whom is permanent and two of whom are locum staff.
HIQA noted UHK was reliant on additional outsourcing to external providers to meet the deficits in consultant staff.
It said there was an emerging backlog in the clinical reporting of certain radiological examinations reported during the inspection – consisting of 450 x-ray reports and 120 CT scan reports.
HIQA noted this was concerning in terms of the potential clinical risk this presented, and also the identified problems within the service, which resulted in the commissioning of an external review in 2018.
A review of more than 46,000 misread scans at University Hospital Kerry was concluded in late 2018, which found eleven patients suffered a delayed cancer diagnosis, with a number since passing away.
A second, external review of the radiology department, was subsequently commissioned.
HIQA says this latest concern was escalated to the CEO of the South/South West Hospital Group after the on-site inspection.
The health watchdog also noted its concern with the delay in implementing the learning and recommendations from the look-back of radiology services at the hospital carried out in 2018 and the potential patient safety risk with this delay.
The report also stated substantive deficits in medical, nursing, and midwifery staff significantly impacts on the delivery of high-quality, safe care and is a risk to patient safety, especially in the radiology department.
