Compensation for Effects of Delayed Cancer Diagnosis
A delay in diagnosing cancer may have little impact or it can have catastrophic effects. In the saddest of cases, the cancer may well have spread extensively by the time it is diagnosed and nothing can be done to save the patient.
Occasionally, a patient will survive despite an unnecessary delay, but their lives may be changed forever by the impact of that delay.
Cancer death due to delayed diagnosis
Several clients have died from their cancer due to a significant delay in diagnosis despite the fact that they may have visited their GP on more than one occasion with symptoms which should have alerted the medical professional to the possibility that they were developing cancer.
For example, one client visited her GP repeatedly over a period of two years with symptoms of bladder cancer but was sent home with a diagnosis of a urinary tract infection and no referral for further investigation. Sadly, by the time our client was diagnosed, there was little that could be done and she passed away
In another case, a delay of several months in diagnosing our client's cancer meant that her period of survival was reduced.
Whenever a delayed diagnosis causes or contributes to the death of a patient, it is possible that loved ones and dependants are left behind. Not only to mourn the loss of their relative but also to face a future which may be significantly harder because that relative, perhaps a parent, had been a major financial contributor to the household.
This is where a successful compensation claim may be an appropriate course of action. Although it cannot bring the patient back, it can compensate the partner or children of the patient who has passed away for the financial losses which they are likely to incur in the future.
Life-changing impact of a cancer diagnosis delay
Where the patient survives despite a delay in diagnosis, their long-term outcome may still have been made far worse by the delay.
One example is the damage caused to the bowel or bladder due to a delay in cancer diagnosis which subsequently means that the patient has to undergo surgery to remove the bowel or bladder.
Being fitted with a colostomy bag or having to self-catheterise can cause significant practical issues and affect the patient's day-today life dramatically, affecting their ability to work and their self-confidence.
A delay in diagnosis of cervical cancer in a woman may mean that she loses any hope of giving birth to children. This can have a severe impact on the woman psychologically as well as putting significant strain on her personal relationship.
Medical negligence
Where a patient suffers a significant, long-term impact due to a delay in diagnosing cancer, the relevant medical professional may be regarded as having provided substandard care.
If you believe that you or your loved one are suffering due to medical negligence regarding cancer diagnosis, contact us to discuss your situation with a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
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