Nearly 40% of cancers are diagnosed when patients go to A&E

A recent Daily Mail article focuses on the story of Caron Nolan, who was dismissed by multiple GPs for months saying her symptoms are just an infection. In fact, it led to a major surgery for advanced bladder cancer.

This is a six-to-eight-hour operation which will lead to her needing to wear a urostomy bag. If Caron didn’t go to A&E the day that she did, she may not have survived the advanced bladder cancer. And if the GPs did not dismiss her symptoms, then she may not need the major surgery resulting in her having her entire bladder and nearby lymph nodes removed, as well as her womb and fallopian tubes.

Unfortunately, stories like Caron Nolan’s are very common within the UK. It has been said that more than a third of cancer cases in the UK are only diagnosed after the patient went to A&E with cancer-related symptoms. Which is not an ideal way to be diagnosed, because those who end up in A&E with cancer-related symptoms are less likely to survive.

The main issue is that an early diagnosis is crucial to the patient’s survival, because when they are diagnosed when at A&E, the cancer is most likely advanced and will cause more complications than it would if it was caught earlier by their GP.

The fact that the GPs could have lessened the consequences of cancer on the patients’ bodies if they ensured proper case of the symptoms and not mistaking them as something miniscule. GPs have a duty of care to ensure their patient receives effective and efficient medical treatment.

Further reading

Article source – Daily Mail

Medical Misdiagnosis or Delay – Oakwood Solicitors

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If you believe that you may have suffered as a result of failings by your GP, any other health professional or experienced a delay in the diagnosis of cancer, then please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0113 200 9720 and ask to speak to the Medical Negligence team.