The NPD's interim leader, Dawn Black, says the government is at fault for a man receiving contradictory letters about the same CT scan.

In the legislature today (February 17), the NDP Opposition once again raised the issue of questionable radiologists' scans.

Interim leader Dawn Black pointed out that a Powell River man received two letters on February 8 from the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority telling him that his CT scan was read by an unqualified radiologist.

"Both letters assured him they had taken every measure to follow up and properly read his scan," she said.

However, Black added, one letter said there was "no discrepancy" and no follow-up was necessary. The other letter stated that there is a "discrepancy...which may potentially be significant".

"Will the Minister of Health please first apologize to this patient and then explain to him what on earth is going on?" Black asked.

Health Services Minister Colin Hansen replied that he was not aware of the letters.

"I'm not aware of the details around the case that the member has raised, but obviously in the way that she has presented, this gentleman deserves an apology, not just from me, but I think from the health authority and from the physicians involved," Hansen added.

The minister went on to say this situation was "not acceptable" to him: "It's not just this one gentleman, who obviously must be very distressed by this, but it's all of the patients who I think have been put under stress because of the misdiagnosis and misinterpretation of the scans as have occurred."

Hansen also said that he will give the man a "full apology".

Black characterized the handling of the man's case as "terrible incompetence" and claimed that it was the government's fault.

"Can you imagine for a minute what this patient actually is going through?" she stated. "How is he supposed to have any confidence in his care when he gets two letters on the same day, one telling him there is a problem, the other saying everything is fine?"

A few minutes later, Vancouver-Mount Pleasant NDP MLA Jenny Kwan asked Hansen how he only recently found out about the scans by unqualified radiologists.

Kwan noted that the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority knew about the problem since October.

"So I'd like the minister to explain to this house and to British Columbians how it is that this time lag is allowed," she asked. "And what is he going to do to seek those answers from the health authorities themselves in not bringing the issue to the minister's attention immediately?"

Hansen responded that he took action as soon as the issue was brought to his attention. "We made sure that it was addressed expeditiously and on a priority basis by everybody concerned," he claimed.

Kwan followed up by saying: "Maybe the former minister of health (Kevin Falcon) knows nothing about it, who's now wanting the premier's seat. I don't know who doesn't know, but the fact is, it's the patients who are not getting the information that they deserve and the health care that they deserve."

Powell River man received two letters on same day with contradictory information about CT scan