The Chairman of the Irish Patients Association has said that the proposed investigation into the Tallaght X-ray controversy should be a totally external inquiry and not organised by the HSE.
Stephen McMahon said that the agencies that may have questions to answer should not be involved in deciding the nature of the investigation and the membership of the team.
He also said that the inquiry would not need to be a lengthy one given that it will establish the processes that led to the X-ray backlog and related matters.
Details of the proposed HSE inquiry, which is to have an independent chairperson, are due to be announced next week.
On Tuesday it emerged that a patient died when diagnosis was delayed at Tallaght Hospital because X-rays were not reviewed by a consultant radiologist.
More than 57,000 X-rays taken at the hospital between 2005 and the end of 2009 were not reviewed by a consultant radiologist.
The controversy only relates to adult patients and does not involve paediatrics.
In December, extra staff were appointed to clear the radiology backlog and to date, 34,752 of the 57,921 X-rays have now been reviewed and reports finished.
The hospital hopes to have the 23,169 remaining X-rays reviewed by May. The X-rays were for various tests including cancer, heart checks and orthopaedics.
The hospital has said that over 1,300 people have called its helplines since the controversy over x-ray review delays emerged earlier this week.
So far, 886 people have been called back and the hospital is working through the other calls.
The hospital helplines will operate over the weekend, from 10am-4pm on Saturday and at times to be announced for Sunday.
Elsewhere, a Monaghan GP has claimed that Tallaght Hospital is not the only hospital leaving GP referral letters unopened.
Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, Dr Illona Duffy said she had been told that staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda were putting referral letters in a box as waiting lists were too long.
To contact the Tallaght X-ray Helpline, call 1800-283059 from 8am-8pm.
