Pathologist's patients' distress

Michelle McHugh underwent unnecessary treatment

Patients who were misdiagnosed by freelance pathologist Dr James Elwood have been talking about their distress.

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Teenager Michelle McHugh says she may never be able to have children naturally after undergoing needless treatment because of a wrong diagnosis.

She is to seek compensation from the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust.

The worry and suffering I went through was completely unnecessary

Michelle McHugh

Michelle, 19, of Westlea, Swindon, was told that cells on her cervix could become cancerous after she went for a smear test in 1998.

She was given laser treatment on her cervix.

Last week she received a letter telling her there had been a mistake and that the treatment she had was unnecessary.

She said: "I'm extremely angry. The amount of worry and suffering I went through was completely unnecessary.

"I feel very angry towards the doctor himself. He had a professional responsibility. People do make mistakes but not 230.

Dr Elwood tried to conceal his face from reporters

"I felt numb when I was told I needed the treatment and I was really stunned when I got the letter last week.

"At first I was glad because it said I was fine but, after talking to my mum, I caught on that they had got it wrong and I needn't have been through it.

"I can have children but, because of the laser treatment, I have been told there is a chance that I may not be able to have them naturally."

'I thought I had been cured'

Rosalind Clarkson thought her breast cancer had been cured and had started to rebuild her life.

Rosalind Clarkson: wrongly told she was cured

But she four years later she was told there may have been a mistake.

Mrs Clarkson said the news brought back all her fears about the original diagnosis and shattered her confidence in doctors.

"It has brought it all back," she said. "It has been very painful."

Freda Troughton was also among the 10,000 cases reviewed by the NHS.

She had a major operation four years ago and was told she did not have cancer.

She too has been told that may have been the wrong diagnosis.

"I was absolutely stunned," she said.

"The problem we thought was benign was borderline and I will have to go back every year to be checked."