Radiologists fail to detect a lesion on patients X-ray - 23HDC02630

In a report released today, Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Vanessa Caldwell has found a radiologist and Health New Zealand Taranaki breached the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights (the Code).

A patient raised concerns to HDC that a lesion in her right lung was missed in both her 2017 and 2019 chest X-rays and was discovered only in 2021, which led to a delayed diagnosis of pulmonary malignancy (lung cancer).

The report discusses the care provided to the woman by a radiologist through Health NZ Taranaki and finds both breached the code in two individual errors within the same hospital system.