10th June 2024 – At the end of 2019 Ms K visited her GP on a number of occasions as she was concerned about a change in her bowel habit. In particular she visited her GP Dr Sivasubramaniam in November with a clear set of symptoms, including blood in her stool.
At the time, she was under 50 and a change in her bowel habit with rectal bleeding mandated referral to the Colorectal Team under the June 2015 NICE Guidelines.
Unfortunately Dr Sibasubramaniam failed to make such a referral and the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was delayed by 10 months as a result.
Ms K complained to the GP surgery but the complaint was dealt with very unsatisfactorily, so Ms K instructed Fairweathers Solicitors LLP to investigate a claim in clinical negligence.
It was established that, but for the delay in diagnosis and surgery, Ms K would have avoided firstly several courses of chemo-radiation (with the attendant fatigue and thinning of her skin) and secondly an accelerated menopause.
Additionally, Ms K endured 10 months of bowel symptoms unnecessarily whilst she remained undiagnosed.
A Letter of Claim was sent to the GP and breach of duty was sensibly admitted. Therefore settlement negotiations followed and Ms K accepted £35,000 in settlement of her claim.
Steve Evans the Solicitor with conduct of the claim commented: “Ms K had to come to terms with a cancer diagnosis in the knowledge that she had been let down by the medical profession. She lost earnings as a result of the negligence and I am pleased that I was able to help secure her legal remedies. This was a good result”.
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