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 apologised to 41-year-old Wioletta Smith who was ‘devastated’ following the incident.

The mother of a young son had attended a yearly 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 assessment and possible biopsy.

It was then e-mailed to the breast clinic – but it later transpired that it was never received, Ms Smiths’s lawyers Irwin Mitchell said.

The hospital trust claimed in a letter that the result was not sent via the agreed process, therefore it wasn’t received by the breast clinic and the recommendations weren’t actioned.

Having not heard anything back, Ms Smith, from East Molesey in Surrey, ‘assumed everything was fine.’

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

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

She said: ‘I always made sure to attend all my appointments and reviews at the hospital, so when I didn’t hear back about the mammogram in question, I assumed everything was fine.

‘So to then find out less than a year later that I had cancer came as 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 be around to see him grow up, so giving up really wasn’t an option.’

Following her diagnosis, Ms Smith has undergone surgery to remove the lump, and treatment including chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

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

In their letter, the hospital trust writes that they have since redesigned their process for radiological alerts distribution and the pathway for patients under surveillance mammogram review to ‘minimise the likelihood of human error’.

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

She added: ‘The treatment process has been gruelling, both physically and emotionally, and I had to keep telling myself it’s temporary and I’ll get through the other side.

‘I still feel hugely let down by the hospital trust, but I appreciate the apology and that they’ve introduced changes to help prevent something like this happening to someone else.

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

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

‘Through our work, we sadly see the devastating effects that breast cancer can have, and understandably Wioletta has a number of questions and concerns around the events that led up to her diagnosis.

‘While we continue to support Wioletta so she can access the specialist support and therapies she requires, we welcome that the Trust’s pledge to improve patient safety.

‘Despite what happened to Wioletta and current concerns around cancer care and waiting times, it’s important people continue to participate in screening programmes or seek medical advice as soon as possible if they’re concerned they may have cancer.

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

The hospital trust was approached for comment.