"My Mum's missed cancer diagnosis at North Tyneside"

I can see that this is only for the past 3 years, but I have stumbled on this forum, and feel compelled to tell this story.

My Mum was admitted to North Tyneside General Hospital with suspected pneumonia just before Christmas 4 years ago. She was in pure agony, but there was no room on the lung ward, and placed on an awful downstairs ward. Mum had a blood clot on one of her lungs 30 years previously, this was not taken in to account, although in severe pain, pain relief was always late, and the nurses we came into contact with were awful, eg one night she asked for a cup of tea while awake all night with pain and was turned down, only to see the nurse making tea for the other nurses. She was discharged with out a promised scan.

After continuing with problems she had a chest xray a couple of months later and heard nothing for 6 weeks. Upon a visit to her GP, who recommended an xray, my Mum advised that she had had one a couple of months previously. The GP was furious and phoned the hospital and was extremely sharp with the xray department. The xray had laid there all that time as the department advised they did not know which consultant to send to. The xray clearly showed a very large tumour on her lung pressing on her heart. It seemed that no-one had bothered to investigate where to send the result.

My mum was immediately referred to cancer specialist and was diagnosed. The family paid for a scan in London to establish the type of cancer and if any treatment was available. Needless to say a few months later my Mum was admitted to the Freeman to have her lung removed, and has recovered thank goodness.

The difference in hospitals was amazing. Although my mums consultant at North Tyneside is excellent, but the care and diagnosis was dreadful prior.

Unfortunately at the same time, my Nana had been diagnosed with lung cancer and was actually dying in one of the wards upstairs in North Tyneside Hospital, my Mum was watching this and knew she also had cancer, and begged us that she would not be admitted due to the poor treatment of my Nana, who we managed to get home, and then to a hospice for a peaceful passing.