King's Mill Hospital patient feels 'let down' after error

A breast cancer patient who did not receive proper hormone treatment at a Nottinghamshire hospital because of test errors said she feels "let down".

Keighley Clarke, 29, of Sutton-in-Ashfield, had a mastectomy but was not given the proper follow-up treatment because of the faulty tests.

Almost 80 breast cancer patients were recalled by King's Mill Hospital after being given inaccurate test results.

The hospital has apologised for the mistake and carried out an inquiry.

'Very worried'

Mrs Clarke, a mother of four, said hormone treatment to stop the disease spreading was delayed because of the error.

"When they told me that they made this big error, it felt like I had taken 10 steps back. It makes me wonder if the cancer has returned," Mrs Clarke said.

"I am very worried and anxious and I feel let down by Kings Mill - it is quite upsetting to think you can't trust them.

"They think an apology is acceptable but I don't - they are playing with people's lives and, obviously, I am one of them and I think I have been put at risk."

The errors, which were revealed in early October, were in tests between 2004 and 2010 to determine whether women would benefit from hormone treatment.

At least 120 women were given false negative results which meant some of them would have benefited from treatment different to the one they were given.

Mrs Clarke, who had a mastectomy and has now started hormone treatment, is still waiting for reconstructive surgery.

Hospital officials said the fault was due to a technical issue and not medical error.

The hospital is run by the Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs Newark Hospital.