Walsall Manor Hospital staff failed to follow up tests with patient for a potentially deadly virus due to IT glitch

An investigation found similar blunders concerning 13 other patients in the last nine years.

According to a report, in 2012 a patient in the maternity department tested positive for Hepatitis C, a type of liver infection, but they were never sent for a follow-up test by staff.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust said it had now got back in touch with the person, although they were yet to attend a follow-up appointment, or go for further testing.

The case prompted a review of all microbiology tests carried out since a new IT system was installed in 2007.

It revealed 13 patients, whose blood was tested for various antibodies but not all related to Hepatitis C, tested positive but the appropriate action was not taken afterwards.

Their results were sent to the hospital's 'FUSION' computer system, which records patients' data and results, but staff never sent out correspondence for follow-up tests or appointments.

Trust bosses confirmed six of the 13 patients did require further testing, or an appointment, and their cases are now ongoing.

Rachel Overfield, director of nursing, said: "These 13 cases were discovered in a proactive audit of our records system going back to 2008.

"All of the cases have been extensively clinically reviewed and this identified six cases that required further testing and/or GP or Out Patient appointments. This process is ongoing.

"The microbiology department has also made amendments to the computer system so that tests are more robustly monitored through the process and has introduced a further audit of referral tests to ensure nothing can be missed."

The investigation was detailed in a report from the trust's risk management committee, which said: "Following a recent serious incident reported in maternity in relation to a missed Hepatitis C screening result, the microbiology team had conducted a retrospective audit of all microbiology tests carried out since their IT system had been implemented in 2007.

"This had identified 13 patients where a positive test result had not been sent for further confirmation testing at a second laboratory, although a positive diagnosis had already been reported on FUSION."

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver and cause potentially life-threatening damage if undetected. People contract it by coming into the contact with the blood of an infected person.