Dudley Primary Care Trust apologises to mother
Mrs Field, now aged 33, said that when she finally saw a gynaecologist at Wordsley Hospital six months later, the specialist ordered an urgent biopsy the same day and discovered a 5cm cervical cancer tumour.
The tumour was so advanced that it could not be operated on, meaning Mrs Field underwent eight weeks of chemotherapy and internal radiation, which has cured her but has left her with permanent internal damage and pain.
Mrs Field, who lives with shop manager husband David, said: “I attended my smear test and consulted my GP as soon as I had worrying symptoms but, because the GP did not act appropriately, my cancer spread. I hope that lessons have been learnt.
“My situation has shown, cervical smears are not foolproof and are not 100 per cent effective in detecting abnormalities.
“I was bleeding so heavily that it was soaking through my clothes. I told my doctor I was worried it could be cancer but he laughed it off.
“I would urge any woman not to be fobbed off by her GP as it can result in a devastating delay in treatment.”
She added: “With the recent tragic news about Jade Goody, it’s particularly scary to think that I was 26 when I was diagnosed. Like her, I have two small boys, aged ten and 12, and her case has brought back to me just how lucky I am to be alive.”
Mrs Field’s solicitor, Lindsay Gibb, of law firm Irwin Mitchell, said Dr Suleman had been retrained and the PCT had apologised.
“Cheryl’s symptoms should have rung alarm bells with her GP and the delay in urgently referring her could so easily have resulted in a tragic outcome,” Ms Gibb said.
“In 2008, the NHS changed its method of preparing smear slides to ‘liquid based cytology’, which should make for easier processing but these reviews are still subject to human error.”
Dudley South Primary Care Trust admitted that Dr Suleman ought to have referred her to hospital but disputed that it would have made a difference.
Mark Cooke, chief executive of Dudley PCT, said: “The standard of care which Mrs Field received fell below that which she was entitled to expect.”
