09.03.2015

Expert Medical Lawyers Investigating Potential Delay In Diagnosing Mum-Of-Two

The devastated husband of a cervical cancer victim, who tragically died aged just 35-years-old has instructed expert medical lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate a potential delay in her diagnosis and treatment after she suffered for months with symptoms.

Mother-of-two Louisa Foster, from Granborough in Buckinghamshire died on 14th June 2013 following months of agonising pain and radical surgery including hysterectomy and intensive chemoradiotherapy at The Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

She had a routine smear test in July 2008 and was told the results were normal and then in 2010 she underwent IVF to conceive her and husband Graeme’s second child. Following her son’s delivery, 1st December 2010, she started to experience pain and discomfort but was told it was an infection and that antibiotics would clear it up. 

Louisa continued to suffer symptoms of cervical cancer during the following months but despite being seen by a doctors on numerous occasions, it wasn’t until April 2011 that she was finally diagnosed with the disease

Her husband Graeme has instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care from the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust as he believes more could have been done to spot the cancer.

In February 2011, four weeks after first being told she had an infection, Louisa was admitted to Stoke Mandeville Hospital and had a cervical examination by a junior doctor who again told her she had an infection and asked Louisa to come back in a couple of weeks if it hadn’t cleared. The following month Louisa had another examination and the doctor raised some concerns about the results referring her for another assessment the following week.

On 30 March 2011, a consultant gynaecologist saw Louisa and confirmed that her cervix was necrotic and there was some bleeding. Louisa was given a smear test and a biopsy was taken and four days later she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Expert Opinion

This is a heartbreaking situation as Louisa was only 35-years-old when she died and leaves behind two young children. In the couple of years before her death Louisa had made multiple visits to her GP and the hospital and we are investigating if more could have been done to spot the cervical cancer earlier.

“Although cervical cancer in young women is rare our specialist medical law team has dealt with a number of cases involving women in their twenties and thirties from across the country whose cervical cancer was initially missed by doctors.

“Delays in promptly diagnosing and treating cervical cancer can have devastating consequences and it is vital that doctors focus on the symptoms rather than the age of a woman when deciding whether or not it might be cancer.

“In this case we are still in the early stages of our investigation as her devastated family just want answers as to what happened during her care.

“They know nothing can turn back the clock, but this case is about highlighting any potential issues and lessons that can be learnt to hopefully prevent other women from suffering as Louisa did.”
Marcos Eleftheriou - Senior Associate Solicitor

Graeme said: “Our family is still struggling to come to terms with losing Louisa in such devastating circumstances. She had her whole life ahead of her and we were looking forward to watching our two children grow up. Instead her life was cut short and now I hope we can find answers as to why this could happen and find out why, after she repeatedly complained to doctors about the pain and discomfort she was experiencing, that she was not diagnosed sooner.

“I hope that with the help from my legal team at Irwin Mitchell that we will be able to find out if more could have been done to diagnose her cervical cancer earlier so that the NHS can learn any lessons from her care.  No young women should have to go through what Louisa did, and no children should have their mothers taken away from them like this.”

If you have suffered due to a delayed cervical cancer diagnosis or misdiagnosed cervical cancer, 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.