Inquiry concern over 'strained relations' between health trusts

The inquiry found there was "no evidence" to suggest the histopathology department at University Hospital Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UHBT) provided anything other than a safe service, but the report stated that the failure to carry out a thorough and prompt investigation meant that "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 has been alleged were also considered as part of the review into tissue pathology services at UHBT, between 2000 and 2008.

North Bristol NHS Trust clinicians would send samples to UHBT pathologists who specialised in certain areas and vice versa. Each trust has its own specialists in specific areas and should have been working together.

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 NHS Trust.

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

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

"The failure to carry out a through 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."