Widower's payout for wife's death after cancer misdiagnosis

Kathleen Howe had worked as a domestic assistant at Bronglais Hospital for 30 years

A widower has been awarded compensation by a health board after his wife's cancer was wrongly diagnosed as an ear infection.

Kathleen Howe, 67, from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, died on 29 July 2012.

An investigation found she would have had a 90 to 100% chance of survival if Bronglais Hospital had diagnosed the cancer in time.

Hywel Dda University Health Board admitted negligence and apologised for "failings".

Her husband Alan Howe received a five-figure sum in an out-of-court settlement and an apology from the hospital.

He said: "If they'd picked it up at the start she'd still be with me.

"That's what I've got to live with now - knowing that she should still be here."

Hywel Dda University Health Board admitted negligence

Mrs Howe, who had worked as a domestic assistant at Bronglais Hospital for 30 years, was referred to the hospital by her GP after suffering dizzy spells.

In September 2010, she was diagnosed with otitis extern, commonly known as swimmer's ear, and was prescribed ear drops.

She continued to feel unwell and attended the hospital on several occasions.

In early July 2011 Mrs Howe was referred for surgery to remove granulation tissue from her ear.

The tissue was sent for a biopsy but the results were not shared with Mrs Howe or her GP.

'Serious delays'

By the end of September 2011, she was in severe pain and was admitted to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthenshire.

A CT scan, MRI scan and a repeat biopsy were carried out and she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour, known as squamous cell carcinoma.

Her treatment ended in March 2012 but her condition deteriorated and she died in June 2012.

Sarah Davies, of Hugh James law firm which dealt with Mrs Howe's case, said an ear, nose and throat expert and an oncology expert who looked at the case after Mrs Howe's death concluded there had been significant and serious delays in diagnosing the cancer.

"They found that a biopsy should have been carried out in February or March 2011 at the latest," she said.

"If that had happened, Mrs Howe would have been able to have surgery and radiotherapy and would have survived."

A spokesman for Hywel Dda University Health Board, which runs Bronglais Hospital, said: "We regret that on this occasion we did not provide the high standards of care we strive to.

"We have apologised to the family for the failings and I would like to reiterate our apology. As with any incident we will continue to review the situation to ensure that any actions required are taken to avoid it occurring in the future."