Mr Jonathan Dawson

I am responding to this post now, having been unable to comment before for legal reasons. To suffer a diagnosis of breast cancer is a devastating experience for anyone; to realise that this might have been diagnosed earlier adds an additional burden to bear. If the earlier diagnosis was not made because of someone’s carelessness the distress that might cause is beyond imagining. I am deeply concerned about this patient’s experience and the suffering they have endured as a result of their diagnosis and the circumstances around it. I am in no way complacent about any of my patients who go through the torment and anxiety about the diagnosis or potential diagnosis of cancer. In this particular case that has been highlighted, an allegation was made that the diagnosis of breast cancer was not made on a mammogram performed two years earlier. This was subject to formal legal proceedings and the matter investigated with an independent panel of experts who reviewed the original mammograms and it was found that there was no case to answer. The case was dropped and the allegation and legal case was not pursued by the patient. No element of my professional practice, nor that of my radiology colleagues at Northampton was found to be wanting in any regard and we were completely exonerated of any failure of our duty of care or malpractice of any kind. On a personal note, I understand the distress that this episode has caused. I welcome the audit of my practice and am happy to discuss this with any of my patients. In line with the best centres in the UK, we do everything we can to improve the safety and efficiency of clinical practice. This is achieved by using carefully designed protocols and clinical guidelines in line with national best practice. The breast unit at Northampton is externally audited by NHS Breast Screening program and the National Peer Review process, reports can be viewed on the websites