HUNDREDS of women have been recalled to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital following con-cerns over the way their breast cancer consultations were carried out.

The hospital says the assessments, “potentially did not meet our usual high standards”, and the matter is now the subject of two investigations.

Consultants who run the breast clinic raised the alarm because they were unhappy with the way a junior doctor conducted his initial assessment of some of the patients.

The doctor, who no longer works at the hospital, is now being investigated by the General Medical Council and the Trust has asked the Royal College of Surgeons to help in a review.

A total of 272 women who attended the hospital’s breast clinic between January 2011 and July 2012 and were told there was no need for a follow-up appoint-ment, are now being invited back for a further consultation.

Hospital bosses say they have “no evidence of any harm to the patients seen by this junior doctor.

“However, as a precaution, we are bringing some patients back for an assessment by a consultant.

“At this stage we have invited those patients who were only seen by this junior doctor.”

Tony Skene, consul-tant breast surgeon, said: “Although we have found no evi-dence of any harm, the safety of our patients is our num-ber one priority.

“This is why as a precaution we are making additional contact with some patients and offering a further consultation. The vast majority of patients who have attended the breast clinic at Bournemouth during this time remain unaffected.

“We do however realise that for those patients that we do recall this may lead to additional anxiety and we apologise for the distress that this may cause.

“The Trust is being proactive with this recall which is about clinical standards.

“There are no other concerns.

“I want to assure all patients we contact that they will be offered a prompt appointment with access to a support telephone line in the interim should they need it.”