GPs suspected tragic nurse had cancer – but hospital dismissed it

Concerned GPs referred a nurse to specialists three times over fears that she may have had cervical cancer – only to be dismissed by gynaecologists, an inquest heard yesterday.

Julie O’connor was told six times by Southmead Hospital in Bristol she did not have the disease, and waited three years for a diagnosis after a smear test and biopsy were wrongly reported as normal.

It was only when she went to see a consultant at a private hospital that the mother- of-two discovered she had a tumour almost 2in across.

Despite numerous treatments the cancer spread through her body and she died last year on February 4.

Yesterday, an inquest was told she had been placed on a two-week cancer pathway by GPs twice. This is intended to fast-track those showing the symptoms of cancer so that any tumours can be diagnosed within a fortnight.

Following examinations and tests at Southmead Hospital in October 2015 and August 2016, Mrs O’connor was told everything was normal and she was removed from the pathway.

However, Avon coroner’s court in Bristol heard that Dr Rebecca Williams, Mrs O’connor’s GP, remained concerned as she still had cervical cancer symptoms, including persistent bleeding.

So in november 2016 she made a third referral to Southmead Hospital – again flagging up cervical cancer symptoms.

Mrs O’connor was seen by specialists in February 2017 and it was suggested she had further tests the next month.

Instead, she decided to see consultant gynaecologist Fraser McLeod at The Spire, a private hospital in Bristol, who immediately suspected that she had cervical cancer.

Yesterday, he told Maria Voisin,

Julie O’Connor: She was an NHS nurse for 13 years Senior coroner for Avon, ‘tragic’. When he saw her, she that during an examination ‘it had already had a smear test in was an immediate “I’m highly 2014 reported as negative. He suspicious it’s cervical cancer”.’ inspected her cervix and took a

Feras naaisa, a consultant biopsy, which was reported as gynaecologist at Southmead normal in December 2015. Hospital who examined Mrs Mr naaisa said: ‘It’s unfortunate O’connor when she was put on that we missed it on multiple the cancer pathway, admitted occasions. I inspected the what happened to her was cervix thoroughly and it did not look suspicious to me. That and a negative smear reassured me. ‘It’s a tragic story.’ However, the smear sample was later sent for independent analysis, which showed it was ‘plentiful’ with abnormal cells

Mrs O’connor’s husband, Kevin, 50, criticised the number of missed opportunities to diagnose his wife, and raised concerns that there may be other victims – as he has previously told the Daily Mail.

He said: ‘Yet again an opportunity to diagnose Julie’s cancer was missed. When Julie had a breast biopsy in May 2018, which

‘Unfortunate that we missed it’

was again wrongly reported as negative by the north Bristol nHS Trust, Julie was in hospital, and I remember a nurse saying words to the effect, “I couldn’t believe one person could be so unlucky”.

‘I am also concerned about the number of gynaecologists who examined Julie in her nHS care, and none of them identified a cervical cancer leading to further tests, despite Julie’s GP highlighting concerns about Julie’s cervix.

‘I am extremely concerned that a proper independent investigation has not taken place.’ The inquest continues.

‘It’s a tragic story’ NURSE LET DOWN BY NHS SHE LOVED

Mail, February 12, 2019