Dr Graham Urquhart failed to recall patients

Dr Brennan, of Highweek village, Newton Abbot, Devon, was the clinical director of the service from October 1990 until he took paid leave in June 1997 - he resigned in 1999.

He and fellow consultant radiologist Dr Urquhart, of Churston Ferrers, Torbay both admitted failing to provide an "adequate standard of care" for 58 women between 1991 and 1997.

Both denied serious professional misconduct at the London hearing, which began in September.

Dr John Brennan had admitted 27 cases and Dr Graham Urquhart had admitted 33 cases. Most were found proved on Wednesday.

The GMC will now decide whether the two radiologists were guilty of serious professional misconduct.

In 1999 the Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare Trust said an independent review of 2,125 cases showed 61 women had a delayed diagnosis between 1991 and 1997.

Eleven had died by 1999.

Expert review

Dr Robert Wilson, an expert witness, told the GMC hearing there was "a unique catalogue of screening assessment failures, the like of which I have never come across before or since".

In June 1997 the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Kenneth Calman, carried out a review of breast screening services in east Devon.

The hearing began at the GMC in September

He found assessment procedures had been inadequate and in some cases, delays in diagnosis had influenced the final outcome for some women.

The professional misconduct panel did not accept claims that Dr Brennan was bullying or intimidating, but said his behaviour towards patients was sometimes dismissive and insensitive.

The Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare Trust has already given a formal apology to patients.

During the hearing, Dr Brennan admitted he failed to notice images of malignant tumours in the screening results of nine women.

Unclear images

Both doctors also accepted they did not recall other women with cancer symptoms for further tests.

Nor did they make sure their screening images were clear enough to make a proper diagnosis.

Cells should have been found without surgery

Most cases of breast cancer should be spotted without full surgery - but almost no diagnoses were made in this way at the East Devon service.

The GMC was told Dr Brennan failed to carry out a key test on dozens of women, involving taking a sample of cells from the suspected cancer with a fine needle.

Dr Urquhart was accused of failing to recall three patients for assessment who had "significant clinical signs or symptoms".

He also allegedly failed to carry out the needle test properly on another 49 patients between 1991 and 1997.

Paperwork burden

The GMC panel was told how women were made to wait up to 10 weeks for screening even when doctors and equipment were available.

Dr Brennan said clinical work left him too little time for administration.

He delegated administrative work and "relied to much" on what staff told him, he told the hearing in December.

"I was a busy clinician working in clinical sessions. I did not have the time," he said.

"The reality of life is that we were trying to get through the work."

Dr Brennan was present for Wednesday's ruling, but Dr Urquhart did not attend because of a family bereavement.

It resumes on Thursday.