Reaction After Concerns Raised About Issue In East Of England

NHS trusts and other healthcare organisations have been urged by a specialist medical negligence lawyer to ensure that local policies relating to referral for suspected cancer are consistent with up-to-date national guidance, after concerns were raised regarding the issue in Norfolk.

The Eastern Daily Press reports that while advice on potential cases of breast cancer in the Norfolk and Waveney region was found to reflect NICE guidelines, which outline that anyone over 30 with an unexplained lump should be seen within two weeks, some practices in the area had out-of-date information.

This has led to some concerns that patients had potentially been wrongly turned away and chances could have been missed to diagnose tumours at an earlier opportunity. The newspaper also spoke to one patient who believes she was wrongly told she did not fit criteria for a referral.

Clinical Commissioning Groups in Norfolk and Waveney have since outlined that the out-of-date details had been removed from their system.

Guy Forster, a Partner and medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Cambridge office, talked to the Eastern Daily Press’s Geri Scott in relation to the story and revealed his concerns regarding the reports. He specifically addressed the issue of patients being turned away, outlining how some can view this as a reassurance and as such not chase another opinion on the issue.

He added: 

Expert Opinion

“Often it could be months or years until they go back and by that stage the prognosis can be a lot worse. It’s really concerning if guidelines aren’t being followed.” Guy Forster - Partner