New South Wales Health Minister Jillian Skinner is under increasing pressure after the state was hit by yet another public hospital scandal.

All cancer patients treated at NSW public hospitals in the past five years will have their cases reviewed amid revelations that more than 130 people received incorrect chemotherapy doses.

Ms Skinner on Tuesday revealed two more Sydney hospitals had been caught up in the scandal involving the under-dosing of chemotherapy patients.

It followed the harrowing news of last month that a baby boy died and a baby girl has been left with serious brain damage after nitrous oxide – commonly was incorrectly connected to the oxygen outlet in an operating theatre at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital.

The State Opposition has called for the resignation of Ms Skinner following the revelations.

Ms Skinner has hit back, saying she was disturbed the Opposition is  trying to politicise the issue.

The latest chemotherapy revelation came as NSW Health published a final report into the dosing scandal at St Vincent’s Hospital, which found more than 100 head and neck cancer patients were given incorrect doses of chemotherapy drugs by senior oncologist Dr John Grygiel.

The state opposition has called for the resignation of NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner following the revelations. Photo: AAP

A Sydney haematologist is now also believed to have mistreated his cancer patients for as long as 13 years by prescribing inappropriate doses of cancer drugs, Ms Skinner said.

The doctor, who was working until April, gave lower-than-recommended doses of chemotherapy drugs to his patients, affecting at least three of them.

Two of his patients are now dead while investigations are continuing into 14 other cases.

“The hospital lied to the public, yes, no question of that.”
NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner

The mistreatment was discovered after a nurse reported his under-dosing to authorities in April, following revelations of the scandal at St Vincent’s Hospital.

Ms Skinner has ordered a review of all case files of public hospital cancer patients who received treatment over the past five years.

She expressed regret for the affected patients and slammed St Vincent’s for its “really problematic” initial response to the dosing scandal.

“The hospital lied to the public, yes, no question of that,” she said, while dodging questions about calls for her sacking.

Her department’s final report into the mistreatment at St Vincent’s found Dr Grygriel gave 129 cancer patients incorrect does of chemotherapy treatment, and that the hospital had a culture of conflict and mistrust in the oncology department.

Oncologist Dr John Grygiel gave more than 100 cancer patients incorrect doses of a chemotherapy drug. Photo: Supplied/ABC

It’s understood Dr Grygiel mistreated 103 head and neck cancer patients.

Other names are expected to be added to the victims list when a report into his time at Bathurst and Orange Hospitals is released in September.

The NSW Health report, led by Cancer Institute NSW boss Professor David Currow, found that 37 of Dr Grygiel’s patients had since died – five from non-cancer causes and four from an unspecified cause of death.

But the report said it wasn’t feasible to conclude whether the deaths or current survival rates of affected patients could be linked to the dosage mistreatment.

Ms Skinner said in light of the review and today’s revelations, a number of steps were being taken to reassure cancer patients and their families that their treatment was sound.

Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, where one baby died and two more were hurt in the oxygen mix-up. Photo: Facebook: Bankstown Hospital

The Chief Executives of Local Health Districts and Specialty Networks will be required to confirm in writing that patients are being treated in accordance with the appropriate protocols.

The Government will also allocate $6 million over three years to roll out new software to ensure chemotherapy prescribed in electronic prescribing systems is delivering evidence based treatment.

Opposition Leader Luke Foley attacked Ms Skinner’s handling of the scandal and said he fears more hospitals could be involved.

“There’s been a culture of cover up and protection for hospital administrators rather than a fierce desire from the minister to fight for patients’ safety and health,” he said while calling for the minister’s sacking.

• With AAP, ABC