The hospital at the centre of an inquiry into the removal of a pensioner's healthy kidney has confirmed that it mistakenly told another patient he had an "abnormal" blood test.

Staff at the Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, west Wales, told the man his blood sample results indicated he could have a medical problem after a testing machine malfunctioned.

The 37-year-old patient, who is reported to be considering legal action against the hospital, was notified within 24 hours of the error and an apology issued, the Carmarthanshire NHS Trust said.

Huw Beynon, corporate services director for the trust, which runs the hospital, said: "The patient in question was told through his GP that a routine blood screening test had been found to be abnormal.

"It was found subsequently that this abnormal result was due to a technical fault with the testing machine.

Independent inquiry

"The patient was informed within 24 hours of being given the wrong result."

Mr Beynon denied suggestions that the patient had been told he was suffering from the blood cancer, leukaemia.

He added: "The error on the machine occurred for no more than five minutes and we are absolutely certain that no other patients have been given incorrect results from their blood tests."

The mix-up occurred weeks before pensioner Graham Reeves, 69, last week had a healthy kidney removed instead of a diseased one in a major blunder which led to the suspension of a consultant surgeon.

A independent inquiry has now been set up to investigate Mr Reeves' case.