Radiologist 'failed to spot cancers'

Dr Smith is appearing before a GMC hearing

A hospital doctor failed to spot cancers in nine patients after carrying out a series of inadequate x-rays, a disciplinary hearing has heard.

Dr Frank Smith denies serious professional misconduct while working at the Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, which caters mainly for the elderly, between 1997 and March 2000.

Another consultant radiologist Keith Harris told the General Medical Council hearing that bowel x-rays taken by Dr Smith were of such poor quality cancer could easily have been missed.

Andrew Hurst, for the GMC, said there was no evidence that the deaths of nine patients were linked to delays in treatment caused by the failures.

Dr Frank Smith had not performed a barium enema for 17 years

A review carried out by the Royal College of Radiologists of 374 barium enema examinations performed by Dr Smith, of Cults, Aberdeen, had highlighted concerns about 45 of these cases.

In nine of these cases Dr Smith missed cancers, the Professional Conduct Committee of the GMC was told.

The GMC heard that Dr Smith was an expert of "considerable professional stature" in the field of magnetic resonance imaging work (MRI).

But he had not carried out a barium enema examination for 17 years when he was employed as a consultant radiologist at the Grampian Healthcare Trust in March 1997.

Barium enema

Mr Hurst said that Dr Smith had been "devastated" when an internal audit carried out by the hospital had revealed problems with his diagnosis.

He said the consultant radiologist had immediately offered to stop doing barium enema work and had agreed to continue working at the hospital under voluntary restrictions.

Mr Hurst said it was acknowledged that barium enema examinations - a routine procedure in hospitals since the 1970s - could be less than perfect or less than high quality.

But he said that Dr Smith had failed to appreciate that he was not sufficiently competent in that field and had failed to recognise this and work within his limits.

Dr Smith admits failing to ensure an adequate standard of care was provided for the patients upon whom he conducted the barium enema examinations.

But he denies failing to recognise and work within the limits of his professional competence, and denies being guilty of serious professional misconduct.

The hearing continues.