NEED TO KNOW
-
A British mother-of-three had part of her lung removed after doctors said they were “99.9% sure she had cancer” but were unable to do a biopsy at the time due to COVID-19 restrictions.
-
Two weeks later, Erica Hay, 53, was told that she did not have cancer and that the lung mass was caused by pneumonia.
-
Hay claims the operation left her with breathing difficulties and is now considering early retirement for health reasons
A British woman had part of her lung removed after being diagnosed with suspected cancer, only to be told two weeks later that she was indeed cancer-free.
Erica Hay, 53, from the Doncaster suburb of Balby in South Yorkshire, England, was told by doctors they were “99.9% sure” she had cancer when she was diagnosed in 2020. in July she was admitted to Doncaster Royal Infirmary with shoulder and chest pains.
Hay underwent several tests before his suspected lung cancer diagnosis; However, the biopsy could not be performed due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in place at the time, the mall noted.
The mother-of-three recalled to the BBC: “I had to go home and tell my children and parents that I had cancer. I tried to be strong for them but I just fell apart,” adding: “You hear the word cancer and you automatically think you’re going to die.
Mark Kelly / Alamy Stock Photo
Photo by Doncaster Royal Infirmary UK
According to the local store, Hay 2020 In September, an operation was performed to remove the lower lobe of the right lung. Doncaster Free Pressin which Hay’s name was Erica Flatley.
However, two weeks after the operation, she was told that she did not have cancer and that the mass in her lung was caused by pneumonia, the publication reported.
She said: “During my two-week review, the surgeon told me that I was in the one percent of people who don’t have cancer and that it was most likely an infection,” the outlet said.
Hay, who has worked in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) for more than 30 years, continued: “I was as shocked when I found out I didn’t have cancer as I was when I was first told I did. After all, the infection can be treated with drugs and I didn’t need a life-changing operation.” Doncaster Free Press.
She claimed she had difficulty breathing after the operation, telling the BBC: “I’ve had asthma since I was 17, but after the operation my breathing problems increased incredibly,” adding: “It totally blew me away. Just talking or going to the kitchen can reduce the symptoms.
“Sometimes I feel like my lungs are too heavy for my body, and sometimes my breathing is so bad it feels like I’ve had surgery again,” Hay added to the outlet. “I’m very, very grateful that it wasn’t cancer, but I had to go through all that and know that now it’s probably never going to get better.”
“It affects my work, my daily life and sometimes makes me feel inadequate as a [mom] and wife,” she continued.
Hay, who works as a neonatal nurse’s assistant at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, is now considering early retirement due to health reasons. Doncaster Free Press.
Hay has since brought a clinical negligence claim against Sheffield-based law firm Medical Solicitors and the case has been settled, a company spokesman told the BBC. A spokesman for Medical Advocates noted that the hospital trusts involved had not admitted liability or causation.
Never miss a story – sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling people-interest stories.
Dr Nick Mallaband, interim chief medical officer of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, apologized to Hay and her family in a statement carried by the BBC.
Google Maps
Doncaster Royal Infirmary
“We are sorry for the distress Mrs Hay has experienced and [recognize] the impact it has had on her and her family,” the statement read.
“This case occurred at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has created unique challenges and constraints across the NHS. However, this does not diminish the importance of learning from what happened,” the doctor added.
“Since then, we have strengthened our clinical processes and communications with patients to ensure that their concerns are heard and addressed,” continued Mallaband.
The statement concluded: “These improvements are part of our ongoing work to help ensure that something like this does not happen again.”
Spokespeople for Doncaster and Bassetlow Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Medical Solicitors did not immediately respond when PEOPLE reached out for additional information.
Read the original article about people