Hospital pays out over smear test error
A mother who had to have a hysterectomy after a hospital failed to spot fatal cervical cancer cells has won a five-figure payout.
Lyn Harris, aged 53, from Great Barr, had to undergo a hysterectomy to stop the spread of cancer after the mistake, which is believed to have been caused by human error in the pathology lab at City Hospital in Birmingham. Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, which is responsible for City Hospital pathology lab, has admitted liability and agreed to pay Ms Harris the out of court settlement.
Ms Harris, of Chantry Crescent, was first told something was wrong when the results of a routine smear test in May 2005 reported an abnormality and a biopsy revealed that she had invasive cervical cancer. The mother-of-two was referred by her GP to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield for a biopsy.
She said: "I heard one of the medical staff who had my results say 'how has this got so bad?' They then told me I had cervical cancer. I couldn't believe it." Two weeks after undergoing an operation Ms Harris, who works at Asda in Queslett Road, Great Barr, was told that the cancer had not spread to any other organs. However, following a review of her previous smear slide, she was shocked to find out that a test taken back in April 2002 did in fact show 600 to 800 abnormal cells.
Helen Eden, spokeswoman for the trust, apologised and said new national standards and improvements meant less chance of abnormalities being missed.
"In the case of Ms Harris, the trust regrets the failure to correctly identify an abnormal smear test when it first had the opportunity in April 2002."
