Three doctors have been appointed by the Ontario Government to investigate pathology reporting procedures at three Essex County hospitals, including the facility where a surgeon Barbara Heartwell performed unnecessary mastectomies on at least two women who did not have cancer.

Dr. Barry McLellan, Chief Executive Officer of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto and Ontario's former Chief Coroner, will lead the parallel investigations into 3,000 pathology tests as well as the surgical errors.

"We do think this deserves high priority. When there's uncertainty in the system, we need to put people's minds rest as quickly as we can ", said Deb Matthews, Ontario's Health Minister.

France Gélinas, Health Critic for the provincial New Democrats said that it would be premature for the Government to expand the probe beyond Windsor.

Dr. Heartwell, who had successfully treated thousands of breast-cancer patients in the Windsor area, voluntarily stopped performing surgeries.

Paul Harte, a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Richmond Hill, Ont., said a number of concerned patients had been in contact with his office.

Dr. Barry McLellan, formerly the Province's Chief Coroner and now President of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, will co-ordinate the investigation, the Ministry of Health.