The director of a scandal-hit breast screening uni

The director of a scandal-hit breast screening unit refused to discuss his failures to spot potentially cancerous tumours, the GMC heard today.

(Tues)

Radiologist Dr John Brennan, 51, would just ‘move on’ to the next case when challenged and made no comment about his alleged mistakes.

Breast surgeon Julie Dunn described staff meetings at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital as ‘difficult’ while Brennan was in charge.

The surgeons and radiologists came together every few weeks to review current cases, the GMC was told.

Miss Dunn added: ‘There wasn’t any constructive discussion and I didn’t feel my opinion counted.

‘It was just the way John Brennan approached everything.

‘It was just a difficult atmosphere and I felt it sometimes lacked direction.

‘Ultimately it was his decision whether further tests were performed.

‘

She became concerned after seeing several patients who were given the all-clear after assessment by Brennan.

She said she checked one woman’s mammogram and found there to be signs of a malignant growth.

Miss Dunn told the committee: ‘The mammogram was reported as no significant abnormality but I looked at it myself and it had an area of calcification and I arranged for her to have a surgical biopsy.

‘If I had done the mammogram I would not have discharged her, I would have pursued further investigation.

‘

Brennan has now admitted to his failure in spotting signs of malignancy in this patient referred to as ‘F9.

‘

Miss Dunn later raised her concerns with fellow surgeon Martin Cooper and met with the hospital’s medical director Tom Irvine.

Brennan and Dr Graham Urquhart, 55, have admitted failing a total of 58 women who had tests at their hospital.

But Brennan, of (40a) Highweek Village, Newton Abbot, Devon, and Urquhart, of the Farmhouse, (4) Higher Alston Farm, Alston Lane, Churston Ferrers, Brixham, Devon, both deny serious professional misconduct between January 1991 and June 1997.

The hearing continues.

ends