Cancer diagnosis delays shortened man's life by six months and caused unnecessary pain and distress

What happened

Mr A had blood in his urine, and test results showed abnormal cells and stones in his bladder. Before further tests could be arranged, Mr A was admitted to hospital with large clots of blood in his urine. His symptoms settled, and he was sent home. Further tests showed other tests were needed, and a doctor asked for those tests to be done urgently. The hospital staff told Mr A's wife, Mrs A, that someone would call her the next day about a date for the tests, but that did not happen.

Nearly five weeks passed, during which time Mrs A contacted the hospital. She was told Mr A was on the waiting list. The next month Mr A was admitted to hospital with serious kidney failure. He was treated for this, and early the next year had the tests that the doctor had requested some two months earlier. These showed a large and aggressive tumour in his bladder. Doctors then discovered the cancer had spread to other parts of his body. Mr A was by then too unwell for the chemotherapy that might have extended his life. He was discharged, but returned to hospital and died there soon after.

What we found

The tests requested should have happened within a few days. If they had, it was unlikely Mr A's kidneys would have failed. The need to treat kidney failure before the tests could be done caused further delay. Overall, there was a 50–day delay in Mr A's diagnosis and treatment. Mr A suffered painful, unnecessary treatment for kidney failure as a result. Also, he lost the chance to have chemotherapy that would have extended his life by about six months. Mrs A suffered distress from watching her husband undergo painful treatment, and she was denied six months additional time with him. The Trust did not respond to Mrs A's complaint in an open and accountable way because it did not acknowledge the delays to Mr A's diagnosis.

Putting it right

The Trust acknowledged its failings and apologised for them. It paid Mrs A £3,000 compensation, and drew up an action plan that showed learning from its mistakes so they will not happen again.