'Strained relationships' at trusts criticised

The inquiry found there was “no evidence” to suggest the histopathology department at University Hospital Bristol Foundation Trust provided anything other than a safe service, but the report says the failure to carry out a thorough and prompt investigation meant “matters escalated out of all proportion”.

A review of tests carried out at Bristol Royal Infirmary - run by UHBT - and associated sites was commissioned in June last year.

An audit of 3,500 random tissue samples dating back to 2007 was also carried out and the results were sent to the Royal College of Pathologists for their comment.

Twenty-six cases where misdiagnosis had been alleged were also considered as part of the review into tissue pathology services at UHBT, between 2000 and 2008.

The inquiry made a number of recommendations, including the need for a unified histopathology service to be established in Bristol.

The report expressed concern about the relationship between UHBT and North Bristol Trust.

“The main area of concern relates to culture and attitude, both in the histopathology department itself and between the two trusts,” the report says.

“Professional competition is healthy. Professional rivalry which damages the sane and rational distribution of services is not.

“The failure to carry out a thorough and prompt investigation of the concerns when raised meant that matters escalated out of all proportion and the already strained relationship between the histopathology services in the two Bristol trusts became more deeply entrenched.”

The inquiry found diagnostic mistakes were made by the histopathologists at UHBT but the review by the Royal College of Pathologists found only a few serious errors.

“Any competent pathologist can make a serious error on rare occasions,” it said.

“The number and frequency of the serious errors in the 26 cases identified for the purposes of this inquiry do not in isolation justify serious concern about the overall competence of the pathologists in the histopathology department at UHBT.”

University Hospital Bristol Foundation Trust chief executive Robert Woolley said: “I welcome the report of the independent inquiry. I have already agreed with my colleague, Ruth Brunt, chief executive of North Bristol Trust, that we integrate the two histopathology departments in Bristol, as recommended.”

Chief executive of North Bristol Trust Ruth Brunt said: “With new management in place at both trusts we now have a better working partnership between both organisations.

“We’re offering the opportunity for those patients to either meet with their consultants so they can have a clinical discussion with the consultant or we’re very happy both in UH Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust as a management team to meet with any of those patients or their relatives as a result of this.”