An investigation panel has advised Tung Wah Hospital to improve the procedures on verification of patient identification labels to avoid specimen mix-up.

In a report on the mixing up of the prostate biopsy results of two male patients the panel said a change in the scheduled sequence of patients may have lead to the mix up of patient identification labels at the time the biopsies were taken in the hospital's Geriatric Urology Centre.

To avoid similar incidents the panel advised the hospital to use advanced barcode technology for laboratory tests. It should also stop taking out and clipping the identification label sheets of different patients on the same clipboard, and enhance clinical supervision and the audit mechanism to ensure compliance of guidelines.