A consultant faces disciplinary procedures following an investigation of samples from 4,654 patients from May 2006 through last August, The Times of London reported Thursday.

"The review followed indications of possible errors in the examination of a small proportion of tissue samples by one consultant working at the hospital during that time," Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust said, in a statement. "As a consequence, a total of 102 patients had to be recalled to discuss changes in their diagnosis or treatment.

"Of these, the prognosis was more serious for 40 patients, with the prognosis for the remaining 62 being either less serious or not materially different."

But Caroline Klage, of the legal firm Bolt Burden Kemp, said the hospital faces potential lawsuits from patients who, in some cases, had care delayed up to two years.

"In the very worst scenario, where someone has lost the opportunity to be given effective

treatment for cancer, the outlook is now bleak and they have a number of dependents, a

compensation claim is likely to be significant," she told London's The Daily Telegraph.