I was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 months late after a hospital email never arrived – I was devastated

A mother was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 months late because of a missed email, her lawyers say.

Kingston Hospital Foundation Trust has apologized to 41-year-old Wioletta Smith, who was left ‘devastated’ after the incident.

The mother of a young son had undergone an annual examination at Kingston Hospital in south-west London in December 2022 due to changes in her right breast.

The mammogram image was marked as FAR (further action required) by the radiologist with recommendations for an ultrasound and possible biopsy.

It was then emailed to the breast clinic, but it later emerged it was never received, said Ms Smiths’ lawyers, Irwin Mitchell.

The hospital administration claimed in a letter that the result had not been sent through the agreed procedure, therefore had not been received by the breast clinic and that the recommendations had not been acted upon.

Kingston Hospital Foundation Trust has apologized to the 41-year-old who was left ‘devastated’ after the incident

Having heard nothing, ‘Mrs Smith, from East Molesey in Surrey, assumed everything was fine.’

In October 2023, she attended her GP practice reporting a lump in her breast and was referred through the two-week urgent pathway for suspected cancer.

The mother underwent a biopsy and was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer.

She said: ‘I always made sure I attended all my appointments and check-ups at the hospital, so when I didn’t hear anything about the mammogram in question I assumed everything was fine.

‘So finding out less than a year later that I had cancer was a huge shock; I was absolutely devastated.

‘It would have been easy for me to crumble and think, “Why me?” but I knew I couldn’t change the diagnosis, so I was determined to fight it. I have a young son and I want to see him grow up, so giving up was really not an option.’

Following her diagnosis, Mrs Smith underwent surgery to remove the lump and treatment including chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

In October 2023, Wioletta Smith attended the GP practice reporting a lump in her breast, and was referred through the two-week urgent pathway for suspected cancer. The mother underwent a biopsy and was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer

Ms Smith says she has since received a letter from the trust apologizing, but still feels let down.

In their letter, the hospital trust said they have since redesigned their process for distributing radiology alerts and the pathway for mammography examinations of supervised patients to ‘minimise the potential for human error’.

Ms Smith, who is a financial planner, has now commissioned medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care and is working hard to raise awareness of the importance of testing.

She added: ‘The treatment process was grueling, both physically and emotionally, and I had to keep telling myself that it was temporary and that I would make it through the other side.

‘I still feel hugely let down by the hospital trust, but I appreciate the apology and that they have made changes to prevent something like this from happening to anyone else.

‘I hope that by speaking out I can raise awareness about the symptoms of breast cancer. Many people are affected by the disease, so we all need to know what to look out for.”

Following her diagnosis, Mrs Smith underwent surgery to remove the lump and treatment including chemotherapy and radiotherapy

Lauren Mannion, the lawyer representing Mrs Smith, said: ‘The past year has been incredibly difficult for Wioletta as she comes to terms with her diagnosis and the physical and emotional impact it has had on her.

‘Through our work we unfortunately see the devastating impact breast cancer can have, and Wioletta understandably has a number of questions and concerns about the events leading to her diagnosis.

‘While we continue to support Wioletta to ensure she can access the specialist support and therapies she needs, we welcome the Trust’s commitment to improving patient safety.

‘Despite what happened to Wioletta and the current concerns around cancer care and waiting times, it is important that people continue to participate in screening programs or seek medical advice as soon as possible if they are concerned they may have cancer.

‘Early detection and treatment are the key to beating it.’

The hospital trust was contacted for comment.