Headline: Controversial Radiologist at University Hospital of North Norway Challenges Authorisation Withdrawal
Subheadline: The radiologist, who was stripped of their authorisation in November, has filed a complaint with the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision. The case involves severe patient safety concerns and suspected negligence.
Article:
The radiologist at the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN), who was stripped of their authorisation in November, has filed a complaint. The Norwegian Board of Health Supervision confirmed this to NRK on Friday.
The complaint has now been forwarded to the Norwegian Board of Health for processing. This follows several years of concern about the radiologist’s rapid assessment of CT scans, including a suspected 3.5 cm pancreatic tumor that was overlooked. The radiologist had responsibility for checking and approving these scans, which were allegedly opened and examined in just 12 seconds.
The radiologist’s lawyer declined to comment on the matter when contacted by NRK on Friday afternoon.
Image with Caption: [[[[Insert Image of University Hospital of North Norway in Tromsø]
Caption: University Hospital of North Norway in Tromsø. (Photo: Erik Waagbø / NRK)
Shocking Patient Safety Concerns
The Norwegian Board of Health Supervision’s November 2023 decision to withdraw the radiologist’s authorisation was prompted by severe concerns about patient safety. In its ruling, the board stated, "We find that you have exposed patients to serious risk by not professionaly reviewing CT scans that you have signed off on. This has resulted in several instances of missed pathology."
The board also noted that the radiologist had failed in their responsibility to oversee and correct the work of trainee doctors, posing an ongoing risk to patient safety.
Suspected Negligence and Cancer Oversight
The first alarm was raised in the summer of 2023 when a radiologist at the hospital noticed that the suspect was not making any edits before signing off on scans. A subsequent review of the radiologist’s own cases revealed several instances of missed serious pathology, including a probable 3.5 cm pancreatic tumor that was overlooked due to the swift examination time, around 7 to 26 seconds per scan.
Dual Role Across Borders
In addition to serving as a substitute at UNN, the radiologist also held a full-time position at a Danish hospital. According to the leader of UNN’s diagnostic clinic, the arrangement allowed the radiologist to work for UNN when they were not otherwise engaged. Between December 2021 and August 2023, the radiologist invoiced UNN for between one and 60 hours per week, averaging 38 hours when they were working.
Last updated: January 5, 2025, at 8:10 PM
This article is part of NRK’s ongoing investigation into patient safety and healthcare standards at the University Hospital of North Norway.
