Dublin hospital has backlog of 58 000 unreported x rays

A major Dublin teaching hospital has admitted to having a backlog of several thousand unopened referral letters from GPs and that it has built up some 58 000 unreported x ray pictures in its adult radiology department.

The issue has led to calls for the resignation of the Irish health minister and the board of Tallaght Hospital, which provides services to patients in the west and southwest of the city.

The hospital has strong links with Trinity College Dublin and serves as a teaching centre for a range of undergraduate health professional courses, including …