Dr. Robert Williams: 'I will never be able to get over this.' (CBC)

The former top physician at Eastern Health apologized Wednesday at a St. John's inquiry, saying he lives daily with regrets over how breast cancer patients have been treated.

"I will never be able to get over this … By far this has been the most difficult situation I have ever had to deal with," Dr. Robert Williams, the former vice-president of Eastern Health's medical services, told Justice Margaret Cameron.

"I want to sincerely apologize — I'm going to do this on a personal basis — for any of my shortcomings in this process. I just hope that the over 100 patients … who had a recommended change in their treatment will benefit," said Williams, referring to the results of a retesting process launched in 2005 after Eastern Health learned its pathology lab had been producing erroneous results on hormone receptor tests.

"It's late, but I hope they will benefit."

Williams retired from Eastern Health in 2006, after that retesting process had started, but before the full extent of problems with the authority's hormone receptor testing program became known.

Indeed, as recently as last month, some patients were still learning the results of retests, and the Newfoundland and Labrador government said a few patients had had no contact at all.

Williams's apology comes a week after Eastern Health itself sent by registered mail a letter of apology to breast cancer patients. In the letter, Eastern Health acknowledged it had not provided the care that the patients deserved.

'Hard-hitting' inquiry necessary, former exec says

In earlier testimony, Williams said he and other Eastern Health managers were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the retesting process and the job of contacting patients. The inquiry has heard that separate hospitals and boards that merged to form Eastern Health in early 2005 had had different information management systems, and that Eastern Health had no master system for patient contact.

Williams advised Cameron that more rigorous quality control is needed, and that the health-care system must prepare to prevent similar problems.

Williams also had advice for the inquiry itself, which has come in for criticism from Premier Danny Williams and Justice Minister Jerome Kennedy for the style and tone of questioning at the inquiry, especially by co-counsel Bern Coffey.

"The process of this commission ... has been very detailed, and it's been very pointed, and it's been hard-hitting," Williams said.

"But I appreciate that you have a job to do, and I want to say that from my perspective that I've been fairly treated by the co-counsels in this whole endeavour, [by inquiry co-counsel Sandra] Chaytor and Mr. Coffey, and I want to commend them for that."

In an unusual move last week, the Newfoundland and Labrador government asked Cameron to revisit her own rules, in particular on whether Chaytor and Coffey can cross-examine witnesses. Cameron has not yet rendered a decision on that application.

Williams told Cameron that numerous "good and caring" professionals from Eastern Health will testify in the weeks ahead.

"I think they will all have a story to tell," he said.

The inquiry is investigating what went wrong with the hormone receptor tests, which are used to help determine the treatment that breast cancer patients will receive. In March, the government revealed that 383 patients had been given incorrect test results. Of that number, 108 patients had died.