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Location : Wasted Space Job/hobbies : Cayman Islands Actuary
| Subject: OZschwitz statist medicine: X-ray backlog endangering patient health Wed May 16, 2012 3:08 am | |
| TENS of thousands of X-rays are not being looked at by qualified specialists at some of the state's biggest hospitals, raising concerns that serious health problems are being overlooked.
A spokeswoman for NSW Health confirmed an estimated 79,000 standard X-rays were awaiting review by a radiologist at Liverpool Hospital and 4000 at Westmead. The X-rays, which include those of chests and broken bones, date back to January 2010.
The vice-president of the Australian Medical Association NSW, Michael Gliksman, said it was important that radiologists reported on X-rays to prevent serious problems being missed. Advertisement: Story continues below
''Reading X-rays accurately is a specialisation that takes many years to acquire,'' he said. ''Many experienced doctors are OK at reading X-rays in their own field, but they can't be expected to pick up more general problems.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/xray-backlog-endangering-patient-health-20120514-1yn44.html#ixzz1v0w5sBJV
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