A RADIOLOGIST who wrongly gave 22 women with breast cancer the all-clear had worked with patients on behalf of Bury Primary Care Trust, it has been revealed.

The consultant radiologist, who has not been named, made a series of errors analysing the results of mammograms while working at North Manchester General Hospital and Trafford General.

Health experts have admitted that the delay in spotting the disease has 'worsened the outlook' for 17 of the women who were recalled. The consultant, who has since been suspended, also dealt with 29 women for Bury Primary Care Trust and seven of them had to be called back to have their mammograms re-checked. However, they were each given the all-clear.

Almost 2,500 scans from Trafford and North Manchester had to be checked again after concerns were raised last April over the quality of the consultant's work. An expert panel was called in to investigate and their report was published on Tuesday.

A total of 176 women were called back for further scans and 28 were found to have some form of breast cancer. Six had benign growths but 21 had invasive breast cancer and one had a treatable tumour. Of those 22 with the disease, 17 had a delay in diagnosis of more than three months which could have a significant impact on survival chances.

All of the women affected by the blunder are now receiving, or have received, the appropriate treatment. As a precaution, the consultants ultrasound work is also being reviewed.

David Cain, chief executive for Trafford Healthcare Trust, said: "We have contacted all our patients whose diagnosis was delayed to apologise and offer support. Those that wished to meet with me and senior colleagues have done so which has allowed us to apologise in person. We know that this review has touched many women and their families and may I apologise again to everyone for the anxiety that has been caused."