We place a huge amount of trust in our medical team, and most of the time the advice or treatment they give up is right. There are few tragic occasions, like this one, where they make mistakes. This can cause further injury, illness or even death.
Eleven doctors failed to trace signs of cancer, and now mum of three is told she’ll die. Angela Skeffington, 43, was given just weeks to live after doctors failed to trace tell-tale signs of cancer.
Angela first noticed something was wrong five months ago, although on numerous visits to the doctors she was told she was suffering from period pains. The 43-year-old gran of five has now been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. Medics say it has spread to her liver and lymph nodes and is far too advanced to operate.
Angela, a former warehouse worker, who has lost seven stone due to the illness said: “I knew something was terribly wrong and needed help. They wouldn’t listen to me. I had all the symptoms of cancer but no one did anything about it. Now it is too late.”
Angela’s ordeal began at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham back in April. She told her GP and ten medics that she had severe pains in her stomach, was passing blood and had no appetite.
Medical records from the hospital show that she was seen by ten doctors in 12 visits to A&E. But Angela says her “cries for help” were ignored, and she felt that she was treated like a “nuisance” because she kept going back.
Angela was given pain killers by the doctors and one even told her to eat more bananas. She was only given a CT scan a week ago, when the killer disease was finally discovered.
Angela told The Sun: “I found out my body was riddled with tumours. I feel like they never gave me any chance to survive. It makes me so angry that I won’t see my grandchildren grow up. That breaks my heart and is the worst thing.”
A spokeswoman for the Heart of England which runs Heartlands Hospital said: “We are very sorry to learn of Mrs Skeffington’s concerns and are looking into the issues.”
In the UK we are extremely lucky to have the NHS service that we do. Our A&E sites do an amazing job of looking after their patients. Doctors often have to make life saving decisions on the spot, and most of the time those decisions are ones of success. However in cases like the one of Angela Skeffington, doubt often raises in our mind.
Although it is very rare for something as severe as this to happen, the fact is that it still does. If you feel that you have been let down by your medical service and it has caused you further injury or illness then Your Lawyers may be able to help you.
