Colleagues were so concerned by his working practices that they alerted health chiefs at Trafford General Hospital in Greater Manchester just six months after he started work. The hospital refused yesterday to identify the doctor, who wrongly gave 28 women with suspected breast cancer the all-clear. The resulting delay in diagnosis has put 17 of them at significant risk of dying, the NHS trust confirmed.

The Times can reveal that he is Amjad Mohammad Ali Husien, an Iraqi-born doctor who has been a specialist radiologist for the past ten years. Dr Husien, who is believed to be in his fifties, qualified as a doctor in Baghdad in 1977 before moving to Britain in 1982. He has also worked in North London, Northamptonshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands.

The radiologist became the subject of a major review after colleagues went to Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust again in April last year, two years after Dr Husien joined its staff. The report, published yesterday and first detailed in The Times, found that numerous misdiagnoses had “significantly altered” some cancer sufferers’ chances of survival.

One patient’s cancer was only noticed two years after the woman was informed that she did not have the disease. Another 16 patients had their conditions misdiagnosed. Further investigations are continuing into his ultrasound work at the hospitals, though no errors have been detected to date.

In total, 2,495 mammograms analysed by Dr Husien were recalled and rechecked, dating back to April 2003. It was in that year that colleagues first alerted authorities after becoming increasingly concerned by his medical methods, which included an apparent failure to compare a patient’s earlier mammograms with their more recent tests. Unlike radiologists working at many larger hospitals, Dr Husien was the only consultant on duty, so his work was not routinely double-checked. But like many doctors specialising in radiology, he worked at least three sessions more than the ten sessions per week now recommended.

Doctors’ leaders at the Royal College of Radiologists said last night that his suggested workload appeared typical for a field that was badly underfunded and was in need of twice the 2,000 doctors currently employed. After concerns were raised last year, a small sample of his breast cancer tests were taken for review. The doctor was immediately suspended and further checks of all his work were carried out by a panel of specialists.

Their report states that, of the 176 patients who were recalled because of concerns, 28 women with breast disease were identified whose diagnosis had been delayed as a result of misreporting of their mammograms. A total of 25 patients from Trafford General Hospital and 3 from North Manchester General Hospital; 21 had a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer, 6 had benign breast disease and 1 had a treatable tumour. Delays of more than 3 months for the diagnosis of breast cancer can have serious implications, but 4 of the 21 cases had delays less than that period. The remaining 17 had delayed diagnoses of longer than 3 months.

Richard Campbell, medical director at Trafford, described the situation as “appalling”. He said that patients had been told that the delayed diagnosis “might significantly alter their prognosis”.

David Cain, chief executive of the trust, said that following the 2003 internal inquiry, the only action taken was a reminder to Dr Husien to cross-reference mammograms. He added: “Checks were made with appropriate external colleagues (and) these provided assurance.” Dr Husien, who remains suspended pending a further review, could not be contacted yesterday.

Additional reporting by Russell Jenkins and Rajeev Syal

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