A patient with terminal cancer has said the NHS failed to diagnose her condition, despite seeking medical help on 19 separate occasions.
Julie Rogers, 58, from Devon, started to suffer severe back pain in September 2013. She was referred for blood tests and an ultrasound scan at Totnes Community Hospital.
Although the pancreas was obscured due to bowel gas, doctors said there were no abnormalities and the test was not repeated.
Over the following nine months she continued to experience severe pain. She sought medical attention a further 17 times, twice going to Torbay Hospital’s A&E department.
Each time she was discharged, with doctors failing to take her complaints seriously.
Eventually she decided to pay £600 for a private scan, after which she was told she had inoperable pancreatic cancer.
Speaking of the news, Ms Rogers said: “I’ve been let down and I’m devastated. I knew something was very wrong. I could not get any of the doctors to take me seriously. Urgency was totally lacking.”
An inquiry into her care has been launched by NHS England, which said “any lessons would be put into practice without delay.”
Delayed cancer diagnosis
If your cancer was missed by medical practitioners, and this has affected your prognosis, you could be entitled to pursue a claim for compensation. To find out more, please get in touch with us today.
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