Test delay fury of grandad in brain tumour blunder
Family facing anxious wait for answers
A brain tumour patient whose life was put at risk when a hospital lost scan results showing he had cancer has faced further delays to his treatment.
Tam Williamson’s tumour went untreated for more than a year after doctors failed to notify him that a 13mm growth had been found.
The 48- year- old grandad f inally got the radiotherapy treatment he urgently needed in October 2016 after NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) apologised for the 2015 scan slipping “through the net”.
Now Tam claims he’s had to get lawyers involved because he should have had three appointments with an endocrine specialist at Wishaw General – but has had none.
The dad of three was also expecting an MRI scan in October to see if he can be given the all- clear.
Instead, Tam and his family must now suffer an anxious wait until January 23.
He said: “They’ve let me down again.
“The endocrine specialists at Wishaw have been mucking us about and it was only when my lawyer sent them a letter that I finally got an appointment for Tuesday.
“I was supposed to see them three times a year and I’ve not seen them once.”
Tam needs to see an endocrine expert about the replacement of hormones and chemicals his body can no longer generate itself following his brain surgery.
He added: “It’s been a nightmare because they’re not doing the tests they’re supposed to be doing.”
The builder is also frustrated that he’s had to wait an extra three months for a brain scan to find out if his treatment has been successful.
He added: “I thought I’d have been taken in for my scan in October and it’s been a nervous wait. It takes two weeks to get the MRI results back so I’ll not know until February whether it’s worked or not.”
Tam first suffered illness with headaches and nausea in 2010.
He had a craniotomy to remove a 28mm benign tumour in October 2012. Unfortunately, the tumour returned but a 2015 scan discovering it was back was not f lagged up for more than year.
A letter from NHS consultant Patricia Littlechild – dated May 19, 2016 – said: “I am sorry that somehow the scan from 2015 results seems to have slipped through the net but now that I have seen them and noticed a very small change in them, I think it’s important we get an up-to-date scan to check that out.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has come under fire over the NHS Scotland meltdown.
She made a public apology for pensioner Tom Wilson suffering a 16- hour wait to be treated after a New Year’s day fall. Tam said: “They’ve tried to put out this idea that important stuff like cancer care is not being affected but I can tell you it is.
“The state of the health service is a political hot potato right now so I hope that by speaking out it can do something to help.”
Wishaw General senior nurse Sharon Mur ray said: “We can’t discuss individual cases, however I can confirm that we haven’t received any concerns from Mr Wil l iamson or his family about the treatment he has received at any time, nor have we received any communication from a legal representative act i ng on beha l f of Mr Williamson.
“While we have not received a formal complaint, we would like the opportunity to speak with Mr Williamson, and his family, about his experience and we would encourage him to get in contact with us directly through our patient affairs team to allow us to arrange this.”
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde said: “As part of Mr Williamson’s post-op aftercare, his consultant requested an MRI to be carried out in January 2018.
“This scan has already been booked for later this month.”