Exclusive:
Margaret Jones’ family are devastated and angry to know that her cancer was treatable but claim a ‘catastrophic failure’ of communication ultimately contributed to her death
A grandmother has died with her private healthcare provider being accused of failing to tell her a tumour had been spotted on her lungs during a scan.
Margaret Jones’ relatives say a “catastrophic failure” meant information was not passed on, meaning she wasn’t diagnosed with lung cancer until four years later, by which time the condition was terminal.
The grandmother of 10 had a CT scan at GenesisCare in Portsmouth in February 2019, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was being prepared for radiotherapy. The scan revealed a cause for concern in her right lung – but lawyers for the family say due to failings in GenesisCare’s internal processes – this was never passed on.
According to the lawyers, had Margaret’s cancer been identified at this stage, medical evidence supports that it would most likely have been treatable. Margaret, from Fareham, Hampshire, was eventually diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in December 2023, which by then had spread to her brain and bones.
She experienced significant suffering and loss of mobility as her condition deteriorated, and died in August this year, aged 76, leaving two daughters and a son.
Daughter Karen said: “We are so angry, devastated, absolutely lost without our mum. She was the centre of our world, and to lose her in such a preventable way, and to know her cancer was treatable, has destroyed our whole world. This need not have happened.
“Mum put her absolute faith in the medical profession, she would never have doubted what the professionals told her. But what has happened here is utterly devastating.”
Karen’s sister Sarah, added: “Mum didn’t want this to happen to anyone else, so we as a family are speaking out in the hope we can stop this happening again, to save even one more family being torn apart as we have been.”
Margaret was referred to GenesisCare, an oncology treatment provider, by Spire Hospital Portsmouth, where she paid privately for her care. Ahead of the course of radiotherapy she was due to undergo for her breast cancer, she had a preparatory CT scan – which identified an area of concern in her upper right lung. But lawyers for Margaret’s family claim this was not escalated to her oncologist.
The lawyers claim there are disputes over which members of staff were involved, whether a phone call was made to pass on the information, and whether a radiology report was printed out and put into the consultant clinical oncologist’s pigeon hole.
GenesisCare are carrying out an internal investigation which lawyers for Margaret’s family claim has been hampered due to missing emails and medical records, and a lack of an audit trail. The company has referred itself to the CQC over its role in the case.
Daughter Karen added: “I don’t know how an organisation can operate without an audit trail, particularly one that deals in life or death information. They have fundamentally failed our mum.
“The failures are just so basic. When you’re passing on information of this kind of importance, you request an email read receipt, to make sure it has been passed on. The continuity of information is absolutely critical in situations like this. And I cannot believe in this day and age we are relying on printed information in pigeon holes – how can this be part of a modern and fit for purpose healthcare system? We need proper answers so we can fix the root cause of what happened here.”
Sarah said: “Our family will never recover from what has happened to us. Our mum was absolutely everything to us, she was amazing, and her grandchildren cannot understand that they will never see her again. When the doorbell rings, my youngest child asks ‘Is that nanny?’ It’s completely devastating.”
Margaret’s family are being supported by law firm Slater and Gordon and are suing GenesisCare for negligence for the alleged failure to diagnose Margaret in a timely manner. Nicole Jackson, associate and clinical negligence specialist, told the Mirror: “This is an absolutely shocking failure of process which has had the most tragic consequences.
“Margaret’s family are struggling to comprehend what went wrong, and have to live with the knowledge that had the tumour been acted upon, their mother would most probably still be here with them today.
“There are many questions to answer here, and we will support them in finding the truth. It is vital that we establish how these failings were allowed to occur and what lessons must be learned, to support the family in ensuring this never happens again.”
A GenesisCare spokeswoman said: “We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Margaret Jones. The circumstances surrounding the passing of Margaret remain under investigation to identify any failings and ensure lessons are learned where required. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide any further comment at this time as legal proceedings have been intimated and the matter is in the hands of lawyers.”
