Hospital admits cancer 'mix-up'

A hospital has agreed to pay more than £190,000 in compensation after a lab blunder led to a man being wrongly told he had only 12 months to live.

Alan Brant, 54, from Woking in Surrey was told he had a cancerous tumour in his throat and the only option was a operation to remove his gullet.

But after the surgery, St Peter's hospital in Chertsey said there had been a mix-up and there was no cancer.

A spokesman for the NHS Trust said it was "deeply sorry".

Accepted liability

According to his solicitor, contaminated forceps could have been responsible for affecting his biopsy results.

Glenn Douglas, Chief Executive of Ashford and St Peter's NHS Trust, said that a mistake in the pathology lab was to blame.

He added: "We recognised the problem, were open with Mr Brant and we have accepted liability.

"Mistakes like this are rare... since 2000 we have invested £1.7m in our pathology service and put new systems in place to stop this from happening again."

Mr Brant said it had taken him at least two years to get better and return to "anything approaching a near normal lifestyle".

Surgical complications during the operation meant he also had to have his spleen removed.

After the operation he contracted pneumonia and an abscess, and now suffers digestive problems.

He said the upset had cost him his relationship and damaged his career.

Contaminated forceps

His ordeal began in 2000 when he experienced problems swallowing and was referred by his GP to St Peter's hospital for tests.

He said his condition seemed to improve when the hospital carried out a simple procedure on his throat.

But biopsy results appeared to show he had cancer and he was told he must have the life-saving surgery.