TWO PATIENTS HAVE required further clinical treatment after thousands of scans at University Hospital Kerry were reviewed.

Some 46,000 patient files, including x-rays, scans and ultrasounds are being re-examined after it emerged a locum radiologist missed or misdiagnosed seven serious cases involving cancer and other diseases.

To date a total of 45 patients have been recalled arising from the review, up from 34 shortly before Christmas.

In a statement today, released after it was first reported by RTÉ News, the South South West Hospital Group confirmed that 26,625 images concerning almost 60% of patients have been reviewed so far.

“The number of patients recalled arising from the review to-date is 45. As a precautionary measure, two of the patients require further clinical treatment,” the statement said.

“No further clinical follow-up has been required for the other patients in relation to their radiology investigations.”

Doctors involved have been keen to stress that the majority of cases reviewed have found no issues, with only a minority of patients being recalled.

Fianna Fáil’s health spokesperson Billy Kelleher previously raised concerns over how one doctor was responsible for reviewing so many scans, describing it as a “very heavy workload for any person”.

Read: Doctor who misdiagnosed seven serious cases at Kerry hospital was not a permanent staff member >