RHEUMATOLOGY patients who were wrongly prescribed powerful drugs will be seen as a ‘priority’, according to the government – but patients will not know if they fall into this category until they receive an appointment letter due to be sent ‘during August’.
The preliminary findings of an audit of the rheumatology department’s records were announced last week, revealing that over 170 Islanders did not meet the accepted criteria for ‘biologics’, powerful drugs which suppress the immune system and can increase susceptibility to infection.
The government said yesterday that letters were ‘in the process of being sent’ to all rheumatology patients to inform them of the latest updates – five days after the preliminary findings of the review were made public.
However, this letter will not inform the recipient whether or not they are in the group whose records showed they did not meet the accepted criteria for starting biologic therapy. These letters will be sent ‘during August’, the government has confirmed.
Patients whose records did not meet the accepted criteria for starting biologic therapy and those where there was insufficient evidence in the patient’s case notes to confirm the accuracy of their diagnosis would be treated as a ‘priority’, the government said.
One rheumatology patient told the JEP of her ‘disgust’ at the fact that the government had prioritised informing the media and staff members of the preliminary findings of the review before patients themselves.
She described feeling ‘frightened’ and voiced concerns that other patients ‘may have stopped taking their biologics in fear’.
‘Will there be a review into how communications about the review were handled when colleagues and the media were told before the people concerned?’ she asked.
Another rheumatology patient – who was informed earlier this year that he was one of 341 patients prescribed biologic drugs whose notes were being audited – described the communication as ‘shambolic’.
He said that he was still awaiting replies from emails sent to medical director Patrick Armstrong and the Patient Advice and Liaison Service in April.
The patient added that he had also been repeatedly attempting to call the rheumatology department but was only getting through to an answer machine.
‘I feel like I’m in the dark,’ he said.
Health Minister Karen Wilson said that it was ‘too early’ to establish whether anyone had suffered harm as a result of ‘inappropriate’ prescribing. She also said that the problems uncovered may be symptomatic of other ‘serious’ issues in Health.
On Friday, it was revealed that the two doctors at the centre of the review were ‘no longer undertaking clinical work’ – but government officials declined to confirm whether they were still officially employed or not.
Health’s interim chief officer, Chris Bown, added that the notes of all patients seen by these two doctors – including both rheumatology and non-rheumatology patients – would also be reviewed.
Yesterday, the government confirmed that appointments were being made – for patients whose notes were audited – with the new head rheumatologist, Dr Sofia Tosounidou.
