The heated debate over the hospital in Antwerp that dismissed its entire team of radiologists has now reemerged in the national media.
The saga of the seven radiologists -- six men and one woman -- reads like the plot of a TV soap opera, a source told AuntMinnieEurope.com. "The story is characterized by high levels of hearsay, speculation, and intrigue, and is spectacularly low on objectifiable facts -- the only real fact being their dismissal."
In an article on 7 June 2024, we reported that less than a year after it opened, the ZNA Cadix Hospital (now called ZAS Cadix) had suspended its radiology team due to concerns about the quality of its work. On 3 December 2024, Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN), a Dutch-language Belgian newspaper, posted an article that provided an update on the status of the radiologists (to read full article requires subscription and login).
Six of the radiologists who had to leave the Cadix, supposedly due to their high error rate, are now back in employment. Some of them work at public hospitals, while others are working in a private practice in the Zuiderkempen region or as locum radiologists. One of them has retired, the HLN article stated.
"Their sudden departure still raises many questions," it noted. "One radiologist, the youngest, is working full-time again. He is doing that today at the UZ Brussel. The university hospital confirms this, but does not want to respond further – just as the radiologist himself or the head of the medical imaging department do not want to respond."
The other radiologists also refuse to comment, the article added. "This is not surprising: the hospital and the radiologists have concluded a settlement, a secret agreement that means that no further (legal) steps will be taken. One of the conditions is that they are not allowed to communicate with anyone."
The seven radiologists would each have received between €1 million and €1.5 million, or a total of almost €9 million, and that continues to cause unrest, HLN pointed out. This is not just a severance payment because they also financed their own modern equipment through a fund to which all seven contributed.
A final report has been drawn up, ZAS spokesman Tom Van de Vreken reportedly told HNA, but he declined to say anything about the contents. A new team of radiologists has now started work at Cadix. "It is a mix of young and experienced doctors. Some started as early as October 1, others still had a notice period elsewhere," the article said.
High-stakes power game
In retrospect, these seven individuals were "the victims of a high-stakes power game" between the different hospitals within the ZNA network, against the backdrop of a monster merger between two powerful hospital groups, ZNA and GZA, a source told AuntMinnieEurope.com.
"The radiologists had previously worked in other hospitals of the ZNA group for many years, without any major complaints about their work, but at ZNA Cadix, they found themselves in a vulnerable position because the new hospital was still getting up to speed," the source said, adding that the radiologists were locked in discussion with hospital management about their remuneration contracts, which allowed them to work semi-autonomously.
Significantly, the professional association of radiologists, the Belgian Association of Physicians' Syndicates (BVAS) and the Order of Physicians felt the decision was very drastic, the source explained. "Within the profession, there is no doubt that the seven dismissed radiologists were punished by the management because they had dared to stand up for their rights."
No one has ever seen the final report of the medical audit, and there appears to be doubts about whether such a final report even exists, continued the source. "The media should refrain from prejudging the professional competence of the radiologists by inference or making negative public statements, and the media should avoid news coverage that undermines the presumption of innocence."
This was a battle between David and Goliath, according to the source. "Hospital management and big healthcare groups are becoming ever more powerful. Managers do not like independent or semi-independent medical doctors and specialists, who choose their own equipment. Hospital managements prefer to employ indentured 'health care workers' who have little or no control over their own destiny. It is a very sad evolution."
Politics at work
This whole story has to be seen in the political context because regional elections took place in the summer and the Cadix belonged to the group of hospitals governed by the Antwerp political parties, a second source told AuntMinnieEurope.com. "Els van Doesburg, who is the second highest in ranking after the mayor, was also the person who announced this action, probably with the intention of winning votes."
In the end, it might have had the opposite effect because the action created a lot of anxiety and distrust among the staff, including radiographers, the source added. "No one was correctly informed about the procedure, and many wild stories circulated."
The problem is not solved yet because there is no final report and a major audit has not been done, said the source. "The main reason seems to be the high cost and the enormous amount of work needed. They announced the audit without knowing the real cost and effort it would take to complete it."
