A London NHS Trust has apologised after a woman was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 months after a mammogram requiring further action wasn’t followed up.
Wioletta Smith, 41, was undergoing annual surveillance mammograms due to changes in her right breast.
She attended Kingston Hospital for her yearly examination in December 2022. Her scan was marked with FAR (further action required) by a radiologist with a recommendation for an ultrasound assessment and possible biopsy.
The information was emailed to the breast clinic, but it later transpired that it was never received.
Ms Smith assumed “everything was fine” as she had not been contacted about the scan.
But in October 2023, Ms Smith discovered a lump in her breast and attended her GP. She was subsequently referred for diagnosis under the NHS’ urgent two-week suspected cancer pathway.
Ms Smith was later diagnosed with Grade 3 breast cancer following a biopsy.
In a letter to Ms Smith, Kingston Hospital Foundation Trust apologised that her mammogram in December 2022 was not sent via the agreed process. This meant the results had not been received by the breast clinic and the recommendations were not actioned, they said.
The Trust stated that as a result of the incident, it had identified learning and implemented safety recommendations.
Ms Smith 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 has 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.
“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.”
In its letter, the Trust said that the process for the FAR radiological alerts distribution within the breast team had been redesigned and a standard operation procedure was created and agreed with the radiology department.
The pathway for patients under surveillance mammogram review was also due to be redesigned to “minimise the likelihood of human error” and to ensure requests and follow-ups were “managed in a standardised way”, they said.
Following her diagnosis, Ms Smith has undergone surgery to remove the lump, and treatment including chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Ms Smith, a financial planner who lives with her husband and son, added: “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.”
Ms Smith instructed medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her care and whether the cancer could have been found sooner.
Lauren Mannion, who is representing Ms Smith, said: “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.”
Kingston Hospital Foundation Trust has been contacted for further comment.
