Patient sent home with 'infection' which turned out to be terminal cancer

A patient in Lanarkshire was found to have received “unreasonable” care from the NHS after being diagnosed with cancer.

A complaint was raised to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman on behalf of the patient’s family following their death.

It was found that they had initially visited their GP on three occasions after feeling unwell, where they were told they had a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics.

They then revisited the GP, suffering from breathlessness, and were referred to the hospital, where they were subsequently diagnosed with Covid.

Blood tests showed they also had an infection and fluid on the right side of their chest, found following an x-ray.

The patient was then treated for Covid and the infection and discharged from hospital.

A few days later, they were re-admitted and diagnosed with lung cancer and signs of spinal cancer.

Doctors told the patient that there was a cancerous tumour pressing on their lungs.

As a result, their breathing worsened, and they suffered “severe” weight loss due to not eating.

Only one family member at a time was permitted to visit, with staff saying more would be able to visit if their condition deteriorated.

The patient remained in hospital until their death a week later.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman found that it was “unreasonable” that the patient was not promptly treated for a pleural effusion, a fluid build-up around the lungs and that further investigations “failed” to be carried out.

The ombudsman also found that the patient was left sitting and sleeping in a chair and that the family were not notified nor given additional time to visit when their condition was deteriorating.

It was recommended that the health board conduct further investigations in line with “expected standards” for managing pleural effusions.

Further recommendations included that staff should contact the family “promptly” to inform them of a patient’s deterioration and implement person-centred care plans for each patient, clearly documenting the decision to nurse in a chair as an informed choice.

The health board was also asked to apologise to the patient’s relative.

NHS Lanarkshire has been contacted for comment.