The fact that medical authorities are sufficiently concerned about the work of a senior doctor to order a recall of patients is a serious development which will cause considerable anxiety to hundreds of people.
A total of 2,500 patients, who were under the care of consultant neurologist Dr Michael Watt, will have their cases re-examined in what is the biggest such recall in Northern Ireland.
Few details have been provided about the nature of the issues that have been identified but we are told the recall follows a review of patient notes by the Belfast Trust and the Royal College of Physicians.
Concerns were raised by other doctors about Dr Watt's management of patients, particularly treatment and diagnosis.
Neurology covers a range of life-changing conditions such as stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's and Motor Neurone Disease. The youngest person being recalled is a patient aged 14.
By any standards this is a difficult and worrying time for the patients and their families.
The Belfast Trust has established a helpline for anyone seeking further information and has written to every patient it wants to review.
Additional clinics will be set up to ensure that all patients will be seen within the next 12 weeks.
These are all necessary and important steps aimed at reassuring those most directly affected by this alarming news.
Dr Watt also worked in the private sector and it is essential those patients are also given appropriate support and information by the relevant care provider.
Thankfully, large scale recalls are a rare occurrence but they are undoubtedly unsettling and can undermine public confidence in the health service.
It goes without saying that patients need to have absolute trust in those responsible for their medical care.
And while the Belfast Trust is dealing with what is clearly a challenging situation and is bound by patient confidentiality, it also has a duty to be transparent about this matter and the questions that will inevitably arise.
