Pathologists don't want to assess colleagues, inquiry told

Finding pathologists willing to monitor the work of other pathologists has been a problem, the chairman of the Atlantic Provinces Medical Peer Review program said Friday.

Dr. David Hambly told the inquiry looking into the work of former Miramichi pathologist Dr. Rajgopa Menon the program wants to start monitoring the work of pathologists next year, but finding qualified people to carry out the work has been troublesome.

"The initial problem is finding assessors to do that assessment — finding a pathologist willing to go into a lab and review another pathologist’s work," he said.

The peer review program was developed in the early 1990s to periodically review doctors’ work and provide education where necessary. It began with just family physicians, and then added pediatricians.

Hambly said some more specialties have been added since, and there were plans to include pathology in 2009.

Hambly said he would like to see pathologists come together and set up monitoring standards. He also hopes some local pathologists will volunteer to become assessors.

Menon, now 73, worked as a pathologist at the Miramichi Regional Health Authority in northeastern New Brunswick from 1995 until February 2007, when he was suspended following complaints about incomplete diagnoses and delayed lab results.

New Brunswick Health Minister Mike Murphy called the inquiry after an independent audit of 227 cases of breast and prostate cancer biopsies from 2004 to 2005 found 18 per cent had incomplete results and three per cent had been misdiagnosed.

The inquiry continues Monday.