Damages have been secured for a man whose bowel cancer was diagnosed nearly a year after it should have been.
He had gone to hospital after developing a lump on the left side of his abdomen and experiencing lower abdominal pain. He underwent tests, which were inconclusive as to whether he had cancer. Further tests were planned, but his notes were not passed on to a consultant and therefore he was never contacted to arrange a follow-up appointment.
He later attended another hospital, by which time he had lost more than 6kg, and was diagnosed with bowel cancer. By this time, 11 months had passed since he should have had the planned follow-up appointment. He underwent a number of surgeries and chemotherapy. He had to give up work and was unable to participate in his hobbies of golf, cycling and fishing.
He brought a claim against the NHS trust responsible for the hospital that had failed to arrange his follow-up appointment. The trust admitted responsibility for the delay in his diagnosis and that this had led to his cancer progressing, as a result of which he had needed surgery that could have been avoided. However, it denied responsibility for nerve damage he had suffered in his arms, hands and feet after undergoing chemotherapy, claiming that chemotherapy would have been necessary even if his cancer had been diagnosed earlier.
Following negotiations, the trust agreed to settle his claim for a six-figure sum.
