Hospital bosses have apologised after an external review has identified how incorrect chemotherapy use at the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust may have contributed to four patient deaths.

The gynaecological review also found “reluctance of staff to escalate safety concerns”, adding: “Some members of the [multidisciplinary team] did not feel empowered to escalate issues around [systemic anticancer therapy] assessments, with some staff stating that they felt that they were rebuked for escalating out-of-range blood test results.”

The patient deaths are understood to have happened in 2019 and 2020 following chemotherapy at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood.

Justin Daniels, medical director at the East and Nort Hertfordshire NHS Trust, said: "We want our patients to receive the safest and highest standards of care. However, we know that as in all healthcare settings, things can go wrong. When that happens, we are committed to being open and honest with patients and loved ones.

"We sincerely apologise for what went wrong for four patients who were harmed, and their loved ones. We are learning from this, as we do from all incidents.

"We apologised in person to the family members immediately, and kept them informed and involved throughout the process following the incident. Requests from family members were included in our learning.

"Since May 2022, we have improved our Freedom to Speak Up service. We have recruited Speak Up Champions throughout the trust - with four at Mount Vernon, across different grades and staff groups, addressing the barriers and the fear of raising concerns.

"There is an improved understanding of the importance of speaking up. The number of staff speaking up has trebled across the trust over the last three years; with a 28% increase at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. Our staff feel safer and more able to speak up if they see something is wrong.

"The Mount Vernon Cancer Centre provides some of the best and most innovative cancer treatments in the UK today."

There are plans to relocate Mount Vernon's cancer services to a new centre on an acute hospital site, with a public consultation on proposals to be announced.