Man had 7 years of 'unnecessary' treatment after being wrongly diagnosed with terminal cancer
Kit Roberts
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
A man received years of treatment that he didn't need after doctors falsely diagnosed him with cancer.
Dad Simon Pearson, 41, was left devastated when he went to the doctor complaining of extreme tiredness.
Simon was George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton in the UK, where he was told that his symptoms were the result of polycythaemia vera, a type of blood cancer which grows very slowly.
Not only that, but the father of two was also told that he had a genetic health condition called haemochromatosis, where iron builds up in the body.
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Simon, who lives with his wife Rachel, 41, and their sons Alfie, 19, and Freddie, 16, then underwent a seven-year-long ordeal as he underwent a series of medical treatments for the conditions he was told he had.
“For years I was in and out of hospital, believing I had a condition that could eventually kill me – sometimes lying awake all night, terrified," he said.
“There was also the fear that it was genetic and something I could pass on to my children. I felt so guilty and constantly worried about their future.
“I had no reason to dispute anything that I was told and put my trust in the doctors."
But seven years after his first diagnosis Simon was attending a routine appointment where a nurse flagged up his case.
After being sent for further testing, Simon was given a shocking piece of news - he didn't have any of the conditions at all.
"To be suddenly told I may not have any of the conditions came as a complete shock," he said.
“I keep asking myself how could this have gone on for so long? I still can’t quite believe how care I didn’t need went on for so long."
Simon says that throughout this period he experienced side effects from his treatment, and he 'struggled to provide for my family'.
The impact has been profound.
“I’m still struggling to come to terms with the fact it was all a mistake," he said. "At times, it feels like I’ve lost my sense of reality."
Simon has started a legal case over the ordeal after the hospital trust admitted to a breach of duty.
Victoria Zinzan is a lawyer representing Simon, and said: “The past few years have taken a significant financial, physical and emotional toll on Simon who remains shocked and upset at what he’s had to endure.
“Although nothing can make up for what he’s been through, we welcome the Hospital Trust’s early admission of liability and are now working with the Trust to ensure Simon has access to the support he requires to try and move forward with his life.
“However, worrying failings have been identified in Simon’s care and it’s vital that lessons are learned to improve patient safety.”
Dr Naj Rashid, chief medical officer for George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, said in a statement from the trust: "I would like to offer our sincere apologies to Mr Pearson for the failings in the care he received from us.
"Mr Pearson's care had undoubtedly fallen below our usually high standards and caused significant distress to him. We are working with him to ensure he has our full support going forward.
“The Trust has carried out a thorough investigation into what went wrong and have put in place actions to address issues identified to ensure this is not able to happen again."