A mother who tragically passed away from cancer experienced a 15-month delay in doctors diagnosing her condition, as confirmed by a hospital. Kerry Pugh sought medical attention for cervical screening after enduring symptoms like bleeding for years. Despite severe cell changes detected in a smear test, Kerry was mistakenly informed that the results were normal. Subsequently, her symptoms worsened, leading to irregular bleeding and coccyx pain.
Following further tests, it was discovered that Kerry had stage four cancer, with an MRI scan revealing a large invasive tumor comparable in size to a bar of soap. The University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust admitted several shortcomings, acknowledging that a specialist examination could have diagnosed stage one cancer earlier, potentially enabling a life-saving hysterectomy.
Kerry, residing in Shrewsbury, had been attending screening appointments for years and had previously undergone procedures to remove cervical cells. She had been identified as having high-risk HPV, a virus associated with cancer. Beginning around 2017, Kerry started experiencing symptoms like bleeding during intercourse, but hospital checks failed to determine the cause. By the following year, her bleeding became irregular.
In June 2018, Kerry attended a routine cervical cancer screening, with the NHS Trust later acknowledging that the smear results were inaccurately reported as negative. Correct reporting could have led to a timely detailed examination that might have saved her life through a potential hysterectomy.
After Kerry’s passing, her husband, Stephen Pugh, took legal action against the NHS trust, which admitted that an earlier diagnosis by August 2018 could have cured stage one cancer with a radical hysterectomy. Stephen fondly remembered Kerry as a loving and caring wife and mother who prioritized her family, even in the face of pain and illness.
Stephen is now using Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (January 19-25) to advocate for improved care based on his wife’s experience. Dr. Simon Constable, the chief executive at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, expressed regret for the reporting lapses and emphasized the importance of learning from such incidents to enhance laboratory services.