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Clinical Negligence Solicitors

NHS trust “learning lessons” from ignoring cancer patient’s fears disease had returned (17 June 2015)

Date: 17/06/2015
Duncan Lewis, Clinical Negligence Solicitors, NHS trust “learning lessons” from ignoring cancer patient’s fears disease had returned

A teenager who suspected her liver cancer had returned after Googling her symptoms died after doctors told her to stop researching her symptoms online and trust their judgement.

Bronte Doyne died aged 19 after sixteen months of begging doctors to believe her fears that her rare liver cancer had returned. She died ten days after being admitted to hospital in Nottingham.

Ms Doyne was suffering from fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Just 200 people a year are diagnosed with the rare cancer – and doctors first suspected she had appendicitis when she was first admitted to hospital with symptoms in 2011.

After being diagnosed with cancer, she was told that her chances of survival would be high following surgery.

Her family, however, was concerned about the high chances of the disease returning after they Googled her symptoms online.

Doctors told the family to stop using Google for information.

Bronte’s mother Lorraine Doyne told The Telegraph that the family’s efforts to understand Bronte’s prognosis were handled in “an evasive and aloof manner” by doctors.

Mrs Doyne said:

“We weren’t given any information by the hospital about this, but we did know it had a really poor outcome; yet they did nothing and just left us to wait and dismissed her concerns.

The Telegraph has published an account of Bronte’s ordeal which she recorded using her Twitter account and a dairy, in which she writes:

“I got so angry because the doctor was so rude and just shrugged his shoulders.

“He gave me a sarcastic comment like you can sleep here if you want but they won’t do anything. So I just have to wait for another hospital appointment.”

Shortly before her death Ms Doyne writes:

“I feel things aren’t good but no news from hospital. Need answers. Want to know what’s going on. Something’s not right. I’m sick of this.”

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has admitted that the trust did not “listen with sufficient attention” to Ms Doyne’s concerns.

Deputy Medical Director Keith Girling said:

“This has put the spotlight on how the Internet age and the availability of information can challenge the way we respond to patients – who may be very well informed, but can remain frightened and vulnerable.”

Mrs Doyne is now working with the hospital board to improve patient communication – by the time her daughter was re-admitted, it was too late to treat her advanced liver cancer.

Medical director for Nottingham University Hospitals, Dr Stephen Fowlie, said:

“Sadly, there were no further surgical, chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment options for Bronte’s very aggressive cancer.”

“We are sharing the learning from Bronte’s experience. Lorraine is assisting us to improve how we help patients,” he added.

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