FamilyWiggs
Member
- Messages
- 3,452
- Location
- Flintshire, N Wales.
It's a tricky one. To double check everything requires twice the resource which in some hard pressed services just isn't out there to recruit (let alone the cost of doubling up).
On the other hand, interpretation of xrays, scans, slides, etc is often quite subjective and humans will make mistakes in complex, repetitive tasks, no matter how good they are. The key is to ensure proper supervision of junior staff and regular audit of senior staff.
I have managed both pathology and xray in the past. We used to double check all the really "important" stuff - eg biopsies from suspected cancer referrals (both initial positives and negatives) as well as a sample of all reports. Even so it is still possible for human error to creep in.
As parents (one of whom is a GP the other an NHS manager, so we know our way round the system) we still went through the difficulties of an undiagnosed skull fracture for a week in our then 6 year old following a nasty fall off/onto a wall.
On the other hand, interpretation of xrays, scans, slides, etc is often quite subjective and humans will make mistakes in complex, repetitive tasks, no matter how good they are. The key is to ensure proper supervision of junior staff and regular audit of senior staff.
I have managed both pathology and xray in the past. We used to double check all the really "important" stuff - eg biopsies from suspected cancer referrals (both initial positives and negatives) as well as a sample of all reports. Even so it is still possible for human error to creep in.
As parents (one of whom is a GP the other an NHS manager, so we know our way round the system) we still went through the difficulties of an undiagnosed skull fracture for a week in our then 6 year old following a nasty fall off/onto a wall.
