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Breast unit patients to be reassessed

Concerns over 26 assessments

Twenty-six Island women previously told they didn't have breast cancer have been recalled for further assessment.

The Department of Health and Social Care has issued a statement, and is contacting those affected.

The department says 1,213 cases from here have been reassessed by experts in the UK, with 26 of them being deemed to require further checks.

Health and Social Care Minister David Ashford says it became apparent something was not right in September last year: (play audio)

A helpline has been set up - 642400 - which is available between 10am and midday, 2pm and 4pm, and (for Wednesday and Thursday at least) 5pm and 8pm.

The department says from September last year, it started to become clear that some women who were assessed by one radiologist at the breast clinic between January 2015 and March 2017 may not have had all necessary investigations.

Rather than look at a sample of the cases over that time (which is the usual procedure in such instances) a decision was made to have an external review of all cases where this one radiologist was involved.

The radiologist concerned is no longer employed at Noble's Hospital, and had already left by the time the matter came to light.

They are now the subject of a General Medical Council investigation and haven't been named.

Meanwhile, an investigation at Noble's Hospital will look at why practice within the breast care service fell short of the high standards expected.

Mr Ashford, on behalf of the DHSC, has offered the women concerned and their families a sincere apology.

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