FLASH NEWS
Diagnosed with breast cancer 10 months late as email from hospital NEVER came!
2024-11-14 17:14:11 / BOTA
A mother was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 months late because of a lost email. The Kingston Hospital Trust has apologized to 41-year-old Wioletta Smith who was 'devastated' by the news. The mother-of-one attended an annual check-up at Kingston Hospital in south-west London in December 2022 due to changes in her right breast. The mammogram image was scored as FAR by the radiologist with recommendations for an ultrasound evaluation and possible biopsy.
It was then emailed to the breast clinic but it later emerged that it was never received, said the Mrs Smiths' lawyers, Irwin Mitchell. The hospital trust claimed in a letter that the result had not been sent through the agreed process, therefore had not been received by the breast clinic and the recommendations had not been implemented. Hearing nothing, Mrs Smith, of East Molesey in Surrey, "assumed everything was fine".
In October 2023 she attended her GP surgery reporting a lump in her breast. The mother underwent a biopsy and was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She said: “I always made sure I attended all my hospital appointments so when I didn't hear about the mammogram in question I assumed everything was fine. So finding out a year later that I had cancer was a huge shock. I have a little boy and I want to be around to see him grow up, so giving up was not an option.”
Following her diagnosis, Ms Smith underwent surgery to remove the lump and treatment including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In their letter, the hospital trust wrote that they have since redesigned their process for the delivery of radiological alerts and the pathway for patients under surveillance to review mammograms to 'minimize the likelihood of human error'.
Ms Smith said: “The treatment process has been exhausting, both physically and emotionally, and I've had to keep telling myself it's temporary. I still feel extremely let down by the hospital's trust, but I appreciate the apology and that they have introduced changes to help prevent something like this from happening to anyone else. I hope that by speaking out, I can raise awareness of breast cancer symptoms. Many people are affected by this disease, so we all need to know what to watch out for."
Unpredictability, proof of the independence of justice
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