Lawyers Call For Lessons To Be Learned From Shocking Case

Specialist lawyers who secured a five-figure settlement for a woman who developed cervical cancer after a West Midlands NHS Trust failed to correctly record the findings of three smear tests, have revealed their hopes that lessons will be learned from the case.

The woman had a smear test in February 2010 which showed borderline changes in cells, but was told there was no need for a referral and that a six-monthly recall would be sufficient.

Further tests in August 2010 and February 2011 came back negative and, while the patient started to suffer bleeding around the time, she thought nothing of it due to the recent results. However, a test in October 2012 showed abnormal cells and two months later she underwent an operation to remove them.

She was then informed that she had cervical cancer and had surgery to remove between 30 to 50 per cent of her cervix in February 2013. Around three years on, she received a letter from Telford and Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust. The letter explained that her earlier smear tests in 2010 and 2011 should have been reported as showing abnormal cells.

Following the shocking ordeal, the woman, now aged 33 from Shropshire, instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchel to investigate her case. Telford and Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust agreed to a settlement after admitting liability.

Expert Opinion

This is a truly terrible case in which a woman has been diagnosed with cervical cancer and faced surgical procedures as a result of failings which could and should have been avoided.

“Patients place great faith in medical experts and an issue of this kind only sadly serves to undermine that hugely important trust.

“While we are delighted to have helped our client gain justice regarding her awful experiences, it is now absolutely vital that lessons are learned from this case so that such circumstances are simply never repeated again in the future.” Rosalie Reading - Senior Associate Solicitor

After receiving the letter outlining the errors made in her care, the woman involved told lawyers how she was left devastated by the fact that she should never have developed cancer in the first place. She has also suffered anxiety after being advised that following her experiences she is at an increased risk of miscarriage and premature delivery.

She said: “The last few years of my life have been incredibly difficult as a result of what I have been through and my only hope now is that no one will go through the same problems I’ve had in the future.

“Following news of the settlement, I am now just keen to move on with my life and hopefully put this awful experience behind me. This cannot be allowed to happen again.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling medical negligence cases.