Hospital bosses said today they will review X-ray procedures after two examinations failed to spot a man's broken neck.

Allan Bancroft had two X-rays at Colchester General Hospital following a fall.

But the examinations failed to spot the break which was picked up when he later visited a German hospital.

A spokesman for Essex Rivers NHS Healthcare Trust, which runs the hospital, said the break must have been a very small one to evade the original examinations.

He said the two general X-rays taken have been reviewed again by doctors and no fracture can be found.

But the hospital is still looking into changing procedures.

More detailed scans could be carried out in future if a patient returns after a first visit.

Published Friday July 30, 2004

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