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Pulse - GPs asked to contact hundreds of patients who may have missed treatment after hospital’s cancer referrals blunder

A piece reporting on the hundreds of patients who were referred for a two week hospital referral may not have been seen by Imperial College Healthcare Trust.

 

The article publishes a copy of an email sent from Dr Eleanor Scott, medical director Londonwide LMCs, urging GPs to offer assistance to any requests from Imperial College Healthcare Trust to validate patient details.

 

The article goes on to extensively quote Dr Michelle Drage, chief executive of Londonwide LMCs on the issue: ‘It is of huge significance. We're still trying to unravel the implications. Our concern is clearly for patients.'

‘We learned just over a week ago via a communication from Imperial that didn't come directly to us that there were problems. We're rather perturbed that the first we heard of it was via the route we did and as recently as we did.'

‘There are concerns that what is being asked is not as efficient for patients as perhaps some other ways forward, that wouldn't require general practices to do Imperial's work for them.'

‘Until we have absolutely got our heads round it, we are recommending for practices right to help identify those patients. However the system should be in place for both the commissioners and the providers to have done that. Questions need to be asked.'

Last updated : 18 May 2012

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