Checks find more cancer 'errors'

The original tests date from April 2006 to September 2007

A hospital where 12 patients were given the wrong findings after cancer checks has identified two further inaccurate results.

Wrexham Maelor is reviewing 4,500 cases following the errors.

A spokesman for North East Wales NHS Trust said there was a "discrepancy" with the original results, and doctors had contacted the patients involved.

By the end of last week, 778 concerned patients had contacted the trust, which said 497 had been given the all-clear.

The errors related to tissue samples "reported on" by pathologist Roger Williams from April 2006 to September 2007.

Of those 497 cleared patients, the trust said it had either been able to recheck their tests, or offer reassurance because the original reporting had been carried out by a different clinician.

Fiona Williams waited five days for her retest result

In some cases the test they were concerned about had not been a tissue sample.

Dr Williams, who stood down as locum shortly after the problems came to light last September, has said he was "deeply sorry".

Meanwhile, one mother who feared she may have wrongly been given the all-clear for breast cancer has discovered she did not have the illness after retests.

Fiona Williams, 26, from Wrexham, who waited five days for her results, said she was "relieved" at the news.

But she added: "I just wish the hospital had handled it a bit better.

"There would have been a lot less stress involved if they had moved quicker and actually let us know about these problems, rather than people like me finding out on the television news in the evening.

"I am relieved, though. I had a telephone call this morning telling me I had the all-clear."

Three of the 12 patients given the wrong results were incorrectly told they were clear of cancer.

Two of the 12 have since died, although the hospital has said they were correctly diagnosed by other means and it was confident their treatment would not have differed.

The cause of the two deaths has not been revealed.

The trust is investigating every tissue test reported on by Dr Williams from April 2006 to September 2007.

Patients have been told it will take up to 12 weeks to complete the work.

All those who contact the helpline and whose test was reported on by Dr Williams have been told they will be contacted again within three working days.

Anyone who is worried can contact the hospital's helpline on 01978 726155. Are you one of the patients affected by this? Send us your comments using the form below:

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