Cancer blunders under scrutiny

Cancers were missed at the hospital

Four mistakes in which cancer patients were given the wrong diagnosis are being examined by NHS bosses.

Two patients died after doctors at Rotherham General Hospital missed their growing and spreading cancers.

Another two have been told they have terminal cancer in similar circumstances.

There were signs that should have been spotted, but weren't

Terry Regan, solicito

The cases are being scrutinised by the Trent regional office of the NHS, which described them as "tragic".

All four families are considering legal action against the hospital trust.

The solicitor representing them, Terry Regan, said: "There is a pattern of carelessness emerging here. There were signs that should have been spotted, but weren't."

Catherine Burrows died in February 1998, aged 74, from lung cancer.

She had her first chest x-ray in 1995, but the disease was not identified until two years later.

Her husband Stanley, from Wingfield, near Rotherham, said: "It shortened my wife's life by years and probably shortened mine.

"They thought my wife didn't look all that poorly and she ended up having most of the bottom lobe (of her lung) cut out, when, if they had seen it first, would have only needed four inches instead.

The hospital has agreed compensation with Mr Burrows.

'All in his mind'

The second patient, Paul Wharmsby, died in August last year from pancreatic cancer.

An ultrasound carried out in the previous February failed to detect the tumour.

His widow Julie said: "He was put through test after test and knew something was very wrong, but the hospital kept trying to say it was all in his mind."

A statement from Rotherham General Hospital said that it was inappropriate to comment on the two other cases, in which the patients are still alive.

However, it acknowledged liability in not acting on a recognised cancer in the case of Mrs Burrows, and apologised to her family.

It said Mr Wharmsby's case was the subject of a complaints investigation and also apologised to his relatives.