Disgraced consultant pathologist James Elwood checked test results of south-Essex patients, it has been revealed.

Staff at Basildon Hospital now have to review slides dating back six years after the realisation that Dr Elwood, 78, worked in the histopathology lab at the old St Andrew's Hospital, Billericay, for two separate weeks in February 1994.

The work should take around three weeks to complete.

Dr Elwood has already been accused of getting more than 200 tissue sample checks wrong since 1995 in other hospitals countrywide.

One woman had a breast removed after mistakenly being diagnosed with cancer and a male patient who was given the all-clear six years ago has now been told he has the disease.

The alert was first raised by a fellow consultant at the Royal United Bath Hospital, where Dr Elwood worked between 1995 and 1997.

Pat Trinnaman, head of communications for Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals Trust, said: "When the story broke someone recognised his name."

She stressed that, at this stage, there was "absolutely no reason to think he might have slipped up" while working at St Andrew's.

His job was to examine surgical biopsies and judge whether there were abnormalities.

Dr Elwood was brought in to cover one consultant on annual leave and subsequently one on sick leave.

He was recruited via an agency but Mrs Trinnaman said it would have been the responsibility of the trust's lead medical consultant to ensure his professional competence.

The lead clinician would need to be satisfied the locum was a member of the Royal College of Pathologists and had kept up to date with current practice.

Mrs Trinnaman added internal practice meant if any malignancies were picked up they would be double-checked by another consultant.

Accused - Dr James Elwood

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