Mother-of-two dies of cervical cancer after doctors repeatedly told her screening test results were normal – despite significant and long-term symptoms. Eighteen months after the incorrectly evaluated smear test of her diagnosed with stage four cancer, which was already incurablewrites the portal
Kerry Pugh zo Shrewsbury regularly participated in cervical screening examinations and in the past she also underwent procedures to remove abnormal cells. Doctors had already detected the presence of the high-risk HPV virus in her, which is closely associated with the development of this type of cancer.
From around 2017, she began experiencing troubling symptoms, including bleeding during intercourse. Although she underwent several hospital examinations, the exact cause of her difficulties was not determined. A year later, she also developed irregular bleeding. In June 2018, she participated in a routine screening. However, the smear was incorrectly evaluated as negative, despite the fact that it actually showed severe cellular changes. University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust later admitted the result had been misreported.
If the results were interpreted correctly, Kerry would be immediately referred for a specialist examination. This could have led to an early diagnosis of stage one cancer and allowed her to undergo a potentially life-saving radical hysterectomy.
About 18 months later, her health deteriorated significantly. She suffered from severe pain in the coccyx area and constant bleeding. Examinations finally revealed stage four cervical cancer. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a large an invasive tumor that doctors compared to the size of a bar of soap.
After Kerry’s death, her husband Stephen, 47, took legal action and called for an investigation into the health care provided. The NHS Trust admitted a number of serious wrongdoings and admitted that if the cancer had been diagnosed by the end of August 2018, it would have been highly likely to have been cured.
