the Faculty of Pathology of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) welcome the report’s findings and fully endorse the recommendations.

The Faculty wishes to convey its appreciation to Ms. Rebecca O’Malley and her husband for their courage and determination. Their actions have helped to highlight structural deficiencies in breast cancer services and will undoubtedly contribute to improving breast cancer services for Irish women.

While incidents of misdiagnosis can never be eliminated entirely, every effort must be made to ensure error rates in pathology are kept within accepted international standards and that appropriate quality assurance and management systems exist.

In its findings, the HIQA investigation team found that in Rebecca O’Malley’s case an error was made by Consultant Pathologist A at Cork University Hospital and this error was compounded by a failure to hold a fully functioning multidisciplinary team meeting where the principle of triple assessment could be applied.

The Faculty of Pathology supports the report’s recommendations relating to functioning multidisciplinary teams and the effective management and review of patients. Since his appointment in January 2008, the Faculty has worked with Prof Tom Keane of the National Cancer Control Programme on a range of significant initiatives designed to monitor and improve quality assurance of pathology services in Ireland. These include external quality assurance; dissemination of guidelines for internal and external quality assurance; competence assurance systems for pathologists; and the establishment of expert pathology panels in a range of cancer areas.

It is now the intention of the Faculty of Pathology, RCPI to ask an established   subcommittee of the Faculty to review these recommendations and make proposals as to how the Faculty may best respond to this and other reports dealing with pathology services.

Faculty Involvement in the Investigation

The Faculty of Pathology of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) as an authoritative body consulted by national, international and government agencies has an important role in safeguarding the quality of pathology services in Ireland. The Faculty was requested by the HSE to undertake an independent review of specimens, identified by Midwestern Regional Hospital.  In light of the fact that the Health Information Quality Authority was undertaking a full investigation into the care of Rebecca O’Malley, it was agreed between the Faculty and HIQA that this pathology review would be undertaken as part of the Authority’s investigation. The Authority engaged the Faculty, which developed a series of protocols in order to assess the pathology standards and capability of the systems in place at the Mid West Regional Hospital and Cork University Hospital. These protocols were informed by national and international best practice.

ENDS

For further information please contact; 

Paul McAuliffe, Communications Manager

Direct : 01 8639765
Mobile : 087 682 1046
Main Ph: 01 8639700
paulmcauliffe@rcpi.ie
www.rcpi.ie


Notes for Editor

The mission of The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) is to develop and maintain high professional standards in specialist medical practice in order to achieve optimum patient care and to promote health nationally and internationally. Through its Faculties and Committees, RCPI has responsibility for the postgraduate education and training of doctors in Ireland in twenty-five medical specialties.

RCPI is fully committed to playing a full and proactive part in the transformation of the health service, as evidenced by its involvement in many strategic initiatives with the Medical Council, the Health Services Executive, the Department of Health and Children, and other Irish postgraduate medical training bodies.