Terminal cancer patient secures compensation after misdiagnosis
02 Sep 2010
A woman who has been told she has only months to live after being
diagnosed with lung cancer has secured clinical negligence
compensation.
Janet Hardingham, 65, had a heart attack in 2004 and was being
treated at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, This is Wiltshire
reports.
In 2007, Ms Hardingham was rushed back into hospital and kept in
for observations, with medics carrying out tests on her heart and
lungs.
However, she was sent home again and received no indication
anything was wrong.
When she suffered palpitations in 2009 and underwent a lung scan
and a bronchoscopy, the grandmother was told she had lung
cancer.
It was only when a junior doctor showed her the X-ray report that
it was found medics had suspected this since 2007 and a
radiographer's recommendation to bring her back in for further
tests had been ignored.
Although Ms Hardingham had radiotherapy, it was too late to treat
the cancer and she has been told she may only have months left to
live.
She took legal action against the Royal United Hospital in order to
force it to learn from its mistakes and has now been paid GBP
75,000 in clinical negligence compensation.
"I don't want this to happen to another family because it is very
difficult for my family," the victim commented.
Last month, a toddler was awarded compensation after losing an eye
to cancer, despite having been referred to a specialist for
treatment.
Harvey Dellar's urgent medical records had been mixed up with
non-urgent cases at Northampton General Hospital, resulting in
vital treatment being delayed for three months.
