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Medway NHS breast cancer error leads to £170K payout | Medway NHS breast cancer error leads to £170K payout |
(about 5 hours later) | |
A woman who became terminally ill after medical bosses failed to offer her a mastectomy for her breast cancer has been awarded £170,000 in damages. | A woman who became terminally ill after medical bosses failed to offer her a mastectomy for her breast cancer has been awarded £170,000 in damages. |
Solicitor Shantala Carr said the woman developed untreatable liver cancer but a mastectomy may have saved her life. | |
Medway NHS has apologised and said it had addressed errors that were made at Medway Maritime Hospital. | Medway NHS has apologised and said it had addressed errors that were made at Medway Maritime Hospital. |
The woman, who does not want to be named, said she was devastated, adding: "It's hard to believe it's happened." | The woman, who does not want to be named, said she was devastated, adding: "It's hard to believe it's happened." |
Ms Carr, who was one of the woman's solicitors, said the mastectomy could have have put her in remission and left her with a less than 1% chance of a relapse. | |
"They should follow procedures that are put down for them and that didn't happen with me," her client, from Gillingham, added. | "They should follow procedures that are put down for them and that didn't happen with me," her client, from Gillingham, added. |
£11,000 initial offer | £11,000 initial offer |
Ms Carr explained: "The mastectomy wasn't even given as an option despite it being in national guidelines that it should be, so national guidelines weren't even followed. | Ms Carr explained: "The mastectomy wasn't even given as an option despite it being in national guidelines that it should be, so national guidelines weren't even followed. |
"Here, sadly, it's cost our client her life." | "Here, sadly, it's cost our client her life." |
The lawyer said the trust initially offered £11,000, on the basis they made no admissions, before she challenged them on the payout. | The lawyer said the trust initially offered £11,000, on the basis they made no admissions, before she challenged them on the payout. |
Ms Carr, who works for Girlings Solicitors, said: "The £170,000 was actually agreed at mediation, so no admissions at all were made by the trust." | |
Adding the £170,000 was not far off the law firm's full valuation of the claim, she said her client agreed to settle early in order to spend more time with her family. | Adding the £170,000 was not far off the law firm's full valuation of the claim, she said her client agreed to settle early in order to spend more time with her family. |
You may also be interested in: | You may also be interested in: |
Benn Best, executive director of clinical operations for planned care at Medway NHS, said the patient and her family had received the trust's sincere apologies for failings in care. | Benn Best, executive director of clinical operations for planned care at Medway NHS, said the patient and her family had received the trust's sincere apologies for failings in care. |
"Since the events of this case, we have addressed the errors that were made with the clinicians that treated her," he said. | "Since the events of this case, we have addressed the errors that were made with the clinicians that treated her," he said. |
"All potential cancers are now subject to an alert system, where they are investigated thoroughly and promptly by a multi-disciplinary team of staff who specialise in the care of particular cancers." | "All potential cancers are now subject to an alert system, where they are investigated thoroughly and promptly by a multi-disciplinary team of staff who specialise in the care of particular cancers." |
He said the trust had also implemented a stronger system of clinical governance so any mistakes or near-misses would be addressed within 48 hours. | He said the trust had also implemented a stronger system of clinical governance so any mistakes or near-misses would be addressed within 48 hours. |