Ilford family awarded £50,000 damages after misdiagnosis of cancer leads to daughter’s death

Posted 15/02/2016 By: Sharon Allison

A family from Ilford have been awarded £50,000 damages in an out-of-court settlement, after their daughter died following a hospital’s misdiagnosis of cancer. They were represented by Ashtons Legal medical injury specialist Sharon Allison.

In October 2008Mary Myers, aged 46,attended the King George Hospital in Ilfordwith a lump in her breast. A mammogram and ultrasound showed benign changes, but the mammogram was noted to be of poor quality. The tests showed a cluster of cysts in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast. Doctors also noted a family history of breast cancer. But it was concluded that there was no evidence of cancer present and she was discharged.

Mary returned to the hospital in December 2008 because she could still feel the lump. Staff tried to take a sample through a fine needle but were unsuccessful. However, Mary was reassured once again that the diagnosis of the cysts as benign was still correct. She was offered surgery to investigate further but declined. Mary returned to the hospital in January 2011 with pain in her arm and back. She also had a sizeable swelling in her breast. Investigation showed she had inflammatory carcinoma of the breast which had spread to her spine. Despite treatment, she died in May 2012.

“This is a tragedy,” says Ashtons Legal’s Sharon Allison. “Had the cancer been properly diagnosed at the outset then there is every chance that Mary would still be alive. The hospital failed to identify the correct area of the breast where the lump was present, failed to repeat the mammogram after it was realized the first was of such poor quality, failed to send whatever had been collected in the syringe for analysis and failed to follow it up with a core biopsy.

“Instead,18 months ticked by, wasted, while she was reassured that the discomfort she felt was nothing much to worry about. By the time the hospital realized their error, the cancer had spread to her bones, Mary was in great pain and the disease was inoperable. In the circumstances it is scarcely surprising that her family are dreadfully upset.”

In a statement, her family said: “Mary died and our family have to live with this daily. Ashtons Legal has fought on behalf of our family to address the catalogue of errors. The settlement has meant that Mary did not go quietly to her grave. She wanted so much to live and was looking forward to becoming an aunty for the first time. The settlement of £50,000 will be held in trust for her nephew, which we know would make her happy.”