Cancer patient slams ‘appalling’ hospital

A woman who was wrongly given the all clear for breast cancer for 18 months at Barrington’s Hospital in Limerick has strongly criticised the private hospital.

The Tipperary woman described her ordeal as “appallingly mismanaged” and hit out at the Department of Health for failing to act more quickly and for keeping people in the dark about concerns regarding the cancer detecting services at Barrington’s.

The 51-year-old woman, who did not wish to reveal her identity, said through her solicitor that in September 2005, she discovered a lump in her left breast and was referred to Barrington’s.

“I underwent a mammogram, an ultrasound and a lumpectomy on September 16, 2005. I was left in no doubt at that time that I had breast cancer. I was told that the lump would be sent for histological examination and the type of cancer would be determined.”

But to her surprise, when the results of the histology came back from a laboratory at University College Hospital Galway (UCHG), she was told that the lump was benign.

Barrington’s, which has been strongly criticised for its cancer screening services, did not look for any other tests and she was sent home. She returned nine months later and a mammogram was carried out but she was again told she did not have cancer.

As her health deteriorated in March 2007, she became alarmed and returned to Barrington’s where she had a needle biopsy.

Eventually, a core biopsy was sent to Cork University Hospital in March 2007 and a week later the woman’s breast cancer was diagnosed. She had to undergo an immediately mastectomy and the removal of her lymph glands, followed by intensive and extensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper