N.L. health authority lacked quality controls: lawyer in breast cancer suit

A lawyer representing breast cancer patients behind a lawsuit against a Newfoundland health authority says a lack of quality controls, among other things, justifies the class action against the organization.

During a hearing today to certify the class action, Ches Crosbie said the Eastern Health authority failed to properly supervise and train staff, as well as inform patients in a timely manner of inaccurate breast cancer test results.

About 20 clients represented by Crosbie attended the first day of the three-day certification hearing in a St. John's courtroom.
The allegations in their statement of claim have not been proven in court.

The lawsuit was launched after it was discovered that more than 300 patients received the wrong results from their breast cancer tests from 1997 to 2005.

The provincial government has announced a judicial inquiry to determine how so many patients could have received the wrong results.