Late Diagnosis For Bone Cancer

An NHS hospital trust has paid £127,500 to the family of a teacher who died after doctors failed to diagnose his bone cancer.

Michael Hemming, from North Cadbury, Somerset, died last year aged 58 after losing his battle against an aggressive bone cancer. His cancer was eventually diagnosed in August 1999 after he fractured his thigh bone while trekking in Tibet. When Mr Hemming returned to Britain after this trip he was correctly diagnosed with the rare cancer chondrosarcoma at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham.

But Mr Hemming had previously visited Yeovil District Hospital for tests in late 1998 and early 1999, and doctors missed both opportunities to diagnose the disease. Instead they diagnosed fibrous dysplasia - a benign condition characterised by areas of abnormal growth. His decision to take the trip to Tibet followed advice from a consultant at the hospital after he checked it would be safe to travel.

Bone Cancer Diagnosed Too Late

Had Mr Hemming's bone cancer been spotted at an early stage he could have received treatment for the disease. And medical evidence shows he would have had a 70% chance of surviving the cancer if it had been caught and treated earlier.

His niece, Fiona Richardson, took up the legal battle against East Somerset NHS Trust, following his death. She saw how angry her uncle was about the way he had been treated and her fight finally led to the NHS trust admitting there was a breach of the duty of care and it should have diagnosed the cancer at an earlier stage.

If your have suffered due to a delayed cancer diagnosis or a cancer misdiagnosis, our medical negligence lawyers could help you claim compensation. Call 0808 163 4557 for a free initial consultation or see our Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims page for more details.