60-year-old suffers life changing negligent medical care at Durham and Darlington Breast Cancer Service.

Our client

Our client, Moira, was an active and self-sufficient 60-year-old, living independently with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for 24 years without issue. However, negligent medical care she received from the Durham and Darlington Breast Cancer Service has completely changed her way of life. Beginning as delays and nine failed attempts to perform a biopsy, the care she received became a series of traumatic events including a mix-up with patient samples, distressing complications after surgery, and ultimately, sepsis.

In one particularly distressing situation, after Moira’s breast doubled in size through swelling after surgery and then turned black, she initially went to A&E and then was later seen by a specialist breast surgeon.

During her consultation, without any anaesthetic, the surgeon cut her wound open and pulled out a lot of clots with his gloved hand. Her breast collapsed back to almost its normal size, but she was left with a hole that needed packing for five months until it healed. She had to return to the hospital daily for the following week and had support from district nurses for five months afterwards. Moira was told that radiotherapy was not an option to treat her cancer while she had this open wound.

Moira said she had concerns about her care throughout, which she describes as “very misogynistic and like there was a lack of care or consideration for me as a woman and for my situation”.

Although she had maintained her independence without issue prior to her negligent healthcare experience, she is now unable to walk or drive and pays privately for carers to come in to support her four times a day. She is completely bed bound unless hoisted into a chair by her carers.

“This has been totally devastating. It has ruined my life, without a doubt,” says Moira.

“From the very start, and it taking so many attempts to get the biopsy, it has been such an ordeal. I have been in hospital, and back and forth to hospital, so many times, and my health has really gone downhill.

“I am at the point now where I need help just to do the basic things in my life – I never thought this would be the case at this age. I have had a very busy life and career, but now I am dependent on the care of others.”

How we are helping

Moira has turned to Slater and Gordon to find answers over what happened in her care and how it has led to her being robbed of her independence.

“Moira’s story is extremely disturbing and is far from the standards of care anyone would expect, particularly in such a sensitive and traumatic situation as breast cancer. Her account of some aspects of her care is truly horrific and something no woman should ever experience,” says Chloe Gibson, clinical negligence solicitor who is representing her.

“We will support Moira in every way possible to find out what has gone so badly wrong in the care she received, and how she contracted the sepsis that has devastated her life and taken away her independence.”

How we could help you

Many women across County Durham may have experienced poor health care from the Durham and Darlington Breast Cancer Service. Several women have come forward with harrowing accounts of failures of this service including:

• missed cancer diagnoses
• unnecessary mastectomies
• absence of reconstruction options
• severe, life-changing scarring

If you or a loved one believe you have suffered due to medical negligence at Durham and Darlington Breast Cancer Service, we are here to support you. Call us on 0330 041 5869 or contact us online to arrange a call back.