Consultant suspended after 17 patients with cancer wrongly get the all-clear

The men and women may have missed out on months of potentially life-saving treatment because of the blunders at Hereford County Hospital.

In some cases the delay could have been more than two years. They have now received the devastating news that their initial diagnosis was wrong and have begun treatment.

Flawed: More than 100 lab results at Hereford County Hospital were wrong

In addition 14 people were told they had cancer when they did not. Some may have needlessly undergone debilitating treatment.

The scandal came to light after concerns were raised about a consultant who examined tissue samples at the hospital.

Six months ago a review of his work between May 2006 and August 2007 was started, and is now complete.

The consultant, who has not been named, has been suspended and is facing disciplinary action. Legal experts said the hospital may be sued by patients.

Paul Keetch, Liberal Democrat MP for Hereford, has sent a letter to Health Secretary Alan Johnson asking him to ensure resources are made available for treating the wrongly diagnosed patients.

Mr Keetch said: 'These people have not just been failed by Hereford, they have been failed by the NHS. 

'Obviously there will be some patients who are undergoing speeded-up treatment for cancer, and we will be looking for other hospitals in the region to help.

'We must make sure none of the patients suffers as a result of this.'

Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK said: 'This is extremely unfortunate and distressing news. It's vital that robust systems are put in place at Hereford County Hospital to stop this happening again.'

Caroline Klage, from national medical legal firm Bolt Burden Kemp, said the NHS trust faces being sued by many of the patients.

She said: 'In the very worst scenario, where someone has lost the opportunity to be given effective treatment for cancer, the outlook is now bleak and they have a number of dependents, a compensation claim is likely to be significant.'

The review looked at 5,404 tissue samples from 4,654 patients which had been worked on by the consultant in the hospital's histopathology department.

Not all the cases involved cancer patients. It found the diagnosis of 102 patients was wrong and their treatment needed altering.

The situation of 40 was 'more serious' than at first thought, while the remaining 62 were less serious or 'not materially different'. 

Around a quarter of the department's work concerns cancer patients. It also examines samples taken from patients with other conditions, such as the bowel disease Crohn's.

Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Martin Woodford said he wanted to apologise 'personally and on behalf of the trust' to all the patients affected.

He said: 'We have acted as quickly as possible to make sure that the review was carried out thoroughly and effectively.

'I can confirm that 17 patients were initially informed, incorrectly, that they did not have a malignancy such as cancer.

'However we must emphasise that a number of these patients would have undergone precautionary treatment anyway or been subject to clinical review.

'Furthermore we can give an absolute assurance that all patients are now following the correct course of treatment.'

'CONDEMNED TO DIE' BY NHS

Jean Murphy: 'Sickened'

A grandmother with kidney cancer has lost her battle to get life-prolonging drugs despite a judge's order to review her case.

Jean Murphy, 62, became a 'postcode lottery' victim when her NHS Primary Care Trust refused to pay for a course of Sunitinib despite it being routinely available 20 miles away.

Mrs Murphy took her case to the High Court, where a judge urged the Salford PCT panel to reconsider.

But yesterday the PCT confirmed the decision. Mrs Murphy is now effectively condemned to die within 12 months.

She is the carer for her husband Michael, 55, who has Crohn's disease and diabetes.

Mr Murphy has vowed to stop taking his own life-saving medication once she dies.

After the PCT hearing, Mrs Murphy said: 'I feel sickened by the way I have been treated. I know this drug won't cure me but it may give me an extra year to live.

'I have a family to love and look after. If the treatment is there, people should be able to have it.'