Skin Cancer Claim - 10 Month Delay
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SKIN CANCER; 10 MONTH DELAY IN DIAGNOSIS; DEATH; LOSS OF A HUSBAND AND FATHER
£1,000,000 settlement following a 10 month delay in diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer.
P V ST GEORGE'S HOSPITAL NHS TRUST
Aged 30 P underwent removal of skin lesion on his left thigh. On histology the lesion was reported to be benign.
10 months later following reoccurrence the lesion was again removed. On histology the lesion was reported as a malignant melanoma. P was informed that the original diagnosis was incorrect and the first lesion should also have been diagnosed as a malignant melanoma. P underwent further operation to clear the surrounding tissue.
Aged 34 P died due to spread of his tumour.
BREACH OF DUTY
It was claimed on behalf of P case the hospital should have diagnosed him as suffering from malignant skin cancer at the time of his first operation and that there was a 10 month delay in the diagnosis.
CAUSATION
It was claimed on behalf of P that had his skin cancer been diagnosed at the time of first operation he would have undergone a removal of the surrounding tissue and treatment that would have avoided the spread of tumour and his subsequent death.
OUTCOME
The hospital accepted that they should have diagnosed the tumour at the time of the first operation. However they argued that the tumour would have spread and that the outcome would not have changed.
The case was settled for £1,000,000 without admission of liability. The majority of the compensation for the dependency of P's wife and children on the salary and pension P would have received had he survived.
