Father died after developing cancerous tumour - as doctors 'failed to pass on test results for three years'
A father died after doctors failed to tell him he had a cancerous tumour and needed urgent care.
When Wayne Evans, from Sedgley, went back to his GP three years later he found he had a tumour that had by then become inoperable.
Despite undergoing chemotherapy he died.
His family say if he had been treated after the initial tests he might be alive today.
Distraught wife Clare said: "His tumour had been left to grow for three years and by the time they tried to operate, it was far too advanced and he died in 2013.
"If it had been removed when he had the first tests, it's likely he would be cancer-free today and we wouldn't have such a gaping hole in our family."
Mr Evans initially went to his GP suffering from severe stomach cramps.
He was sent for tests – but after hearing nothing back, he assumed his results were normal.
However, three years later, the 41-year-old's health began to deteriorate and he went back to his GP to be told a mass had been found on his previous scan and he required urgent care.
He had not been aware of what the scan showed and assumed everything was fine.
The GP practice, Ridgeway Surgery in Sedgley, has now agreed to pay a six-figure out of court damages settlement to Mr Evans' wife.
Although they have not admitted liability, bosses at the surgery have confirmed that since the incident systems had been changed.
Mrs Evans, 45, a sales assistant, said: "My life will never be the same, I cannot accept that Wayne's fate lay on a piece of paper for three years.
"He was forgotten about and it wasn't until he went back in pain that alarm bells started ringing."
She added:"Wayne was shocked when his doctor asked if he'd had any follow up appointments as he'd never been contacted after the initial tests."
In a legal case against the practice, medical negligence specialists Hudgell Solicitors alleged that the tests in 2008 – which showed the abnormal growth – had been wrongly filed away at the practice after being sent from Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley.
Mrs Evans said life for her and their daughters Natasha, 23, and Chloe, 19, will never be the same.
She is telling her story in the hope it will warn others not to rely on doctors to highlight concerns.
She added: "I don't want anyone else to go through what we've been through. Our family is no longer complete, we were married for 20 years and I want others to know what happened to Wayne and that you can't always wait and rely on your GP to come back to you."
The couple's worst fears came true when Mr Evans' symptoms worsened before his urgent care operation in 2011.
Mrs Evans said: "When they told me it was an inoperable tumour, I just remember collapsing and falling to the floor.
"I was waiting for him on the ward and he had to have a colostomy bag from that point onwards.
"We got him home just before Christmas and the cancer had spread to his lung.
"Wayne had a heart attack after the first lot of chemotherapy in February 2012 and I thought I had lost him then, then he later had a seizure.
"As it continued, the doctors thought the tumour had reduced in size.
"I refused to believe it was terminal because he was such a strong and fit man."
Wayne died at home, with Clare, Natasha and Chloe by his side, in May.
Clare added: "It was awful. The sofa became my bed and I slept downstairs with Wayne, even when Marie Curie nurses were there.
"Wayne knew he was going to die. He called us all to go to him before falling asleep."
Wayne launched the legal process himself in 2012 after learning of his diagnosis. A spokesman for Ridgeway Surgery said: "We can't comment on this case due to our duty of confidentiality. However we would like to say how sorry we are about Mr Evans' death and pass on our condolences to his family.
"Since this error occurred we have changed our practice systems to prevent this from happening again."
Hudgell Solicitors secured the six-figure settlement for Clare and her family, which takes into account the pain and suffering Wayne endured, and the impact it had on their lives.
Sam Thompson, chartered legal executive for the firm, said: "This is a truly tragic case.
"He was a committed family man taken from those who loved him."
