Trust review finds 400 patients misdiagnosed

The Pennine Acute NHS Trust has carried out a review of complaints and incidents after an increase in reports by medical staff. The Trust, which runs four hospitals including North Manchester General, has reviewed cases covering the previous five years and has said that it found that 400 patients were misdiagnosed and that 20 of the cases were classed as serious incidents. Essex residents may be interested to hear that the Trust denied that the number of incidents was exceptional.

The Trust began the review as a result of concerns of its partner organisations and its own staff. Between January 2010 and April 2015 there were five reported incidents by its medical personnel, but between April 2015 and August 2015 there were 11 serious incidents reported by staff and another 27 by Clinical Commissioning Groups. The Care Quality Commission watchdog confirmed that they were closely following the Trust’s review.

The Trust refused to comment on the details of the review but stated that patient care was the main aim of the organisation. A spokesman claimed that the review was a part of a plan for continuous improvement and said that their primary safety goal for this year would be to lower the number of instances of avoidable harm to patients. Currently the Trust is looking further into cases that involve blood clots, possible missed fractures and 105 situations that may have resulted in delayed treatment of cancer.

A patient who has been misdiagnosed, resulting in a delay in the appropriate treatment or the condition worsening, may wish to consult with a solicitor who has experience in medical professional negligence cases. The process may involve reviewing the patient’s records and arranging for expert testimony to prove that the level of care was below the standard that could be reasonably expected.