This is NI urology consultant Dr. Aidan O’Brien who is at the centre of a health scandal concerning thousands of patients

Mr. Aidan O’Brien retired earlier this year after 28 years as a urology consultant.

Mr. O’Brien had been working in Craigavon Area Hospital before his retirement.

Stormont Health Minister, Robin Swann, announced on Tuesday morning that, under the Enquiries Act (2005) a public enquiry would investigate the practice of Mr. O’Brien.

The Department of Health (DoH) received an Early Alert from the South Health and Social Care Trust about Mr. O’Brien’s practice on July 31, 2020.

“The trust informed my department that on June 7, 2020 it became aware of potential concerns regarding delays of treatment of surgery patients who were under the care of the consultant urologist employed by the trust,” Minister Swann told MLAs in the Assembly on Tuesday morning.

“The trust became aware that two out of 10 patients listed for surgery under the care of this consultant were not on the hospital’s Patient Administration System at that time.”

Minister Swann added: “As a result of these potential patient safety concerns, an initial lookback exercise in relation to the

consultant’s work was conducted, to ascertain if there were other areas of potential concern.

“This initial lookback, which considered cases over a 18 month period of the consultant’s work in the Southern Trust (from January 1, 2019 “June 30, 2020), concentrated on whether patients had a stent inserted during a particular procedure and if this stent had been removed within the clinically recommended time frame.

“The initial lookback identified concerns with 46 cases within a total of 147 patients who had the particular procedure and were listed as being under the care of the consultant during the period addressed by the initial look-back exercise.”

The Southern Trust set up a Review Group to look into the practice of Mr. O’Brien and the investigation started in August.

Minister Swann told MLAs what the Review Group was able to ascertain.

“Whilst Mr O’Brien has worked in the Southern Trust for 28 years, in consultation with the Royal College of Surgeons, the Review Group has looked at the time frame from January 1 2019 until June 30 2020 and during this time there were a total of 2,327 patients under his care. “The Review Group identified the most vulnerable group of urology patients within this cohort and has concentrated on these patients

Initially.

“There are areas of concern relating to elective and emergency activity; radiology, pathology and cytology results; patients whose cases where considered in Multidisciplinary Team Meetings; oncology and in relation to the safe prescribing of an anti-androgen drug, outside of established NICE guidance in the management of prostate cancer.

“Across those areas, to date 1,159 patients’ records have initially been reviewed and 271 patients or families have been contacted by the Trust and their work continues across those areas of concern.

“So far nine cases have been identified that meet the threshold for a Serious Adverse Incident (SAI) review and all nine patients and / or their families have been contacted by the Trust to inform them of the position in relation to their respective cases.

“A further six cases are currently being reviewed in more detail to establish if those patients have come to harm.”

Minister Swann explained that on top of his practice with the Southern Trust, Mr. O’Brien also had a “significant amount of practice”.

The private practice of a consultant are beyond the power of the DoH but Minister Swann said he has written to solicitors representing Mr. O’Brien asking them to outline how he “intends to provide a similar independent process to ensure that those private patients are alerted to issues arising and that their immediate health-care needs are being met.”

If you are concerned that your care could have been affected you should contact the Southern Trust on its Urology Information Phone Line - the information line is available Monday – Friday 10:00 - 15:00 and the number is 0800 4148520.