Mum's Tragic Death After Cervical Screening Error: Hospital Admits 15-Month Delay
A mother who tragically died from cervical cancer faced a devastating 15-month delay in diagnosis after doctors incorrectly told her smear test results were normal, a hospital trust has admitted.
Kerry Pugh, from Shrewsbury, underwent cervical screening in June 2018 after experiencing concerning symptoms including bleeding for several years. Despite the smear showing severe cell changes, she was wrongly informed that her results were negative.
Missed Opportunities for Early Intervention
The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust has acknowledged multiple failings in Kerry's care. Crucially, she was not referred for a specialist examination that would have diagnosed stage one cancer and enabled a potentially life-saving hysterectomy.
Kerry had previously undergone procedures to remove cells from her cervix and was known to have high-risk HPV, a virus strongly linked to cervical cancer development. She began experiencing symptoms including bleeding during sex around 2017, but initial hospital checks failed to determine a definitive cause.
The trust has admitted that if Kerry's June 2018 smear had been correctly reported, she would have been referred for detailed examination by the end of August that year. This would have identified stage one cancer which, on the balance of probabilities, "would have been cured" through radical hysterectomy.
Rapid Progression to Advanced Disease
Approximately 18 months after the erroneous screening result, Kerry's symptoms worsened significantly. She experienced irregular bleeding and developed pain in her coccyx area, prompting further medical investigation.
Subsequent tests revealed the devastating truth: Kerry had developed stage four cervical cancer. An MRI scan showed she had a large invasive tumour approximately the size of a bar of soap.
Her husband Stephen Pugh, 47, recalled the traumatic diagnosis: "For months she knew something wasn't right, but nothing prepared us for when we were told she had stage four cancer. Her tumour was around the size of a bar of soap and our immediate thought was that it must have been growing for months to get that big."
Family's Heartbreaking Loss and Legal Action
Following Kerry's death, Stephen initiated legal proceedings against the NHS trust, instructing lawyers to thoroughly investigate his wife's medical care. The family are now in line for compensation after the trust admitted responsibility for the diagnostic failures.
Stephen described his wife as "the most loving and caring wife and mum" who remained selfless throughout her ordeal: "She was selfless and always put her family first. Even while experiencing the most awful pain, she tried to stay positive until the end, especially for the kids. She was more concerned about the children and making sure they were looked after."
He added emotionally: "It was awful watching the beautiful wife I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with slip away in front of me. Kerry meant the world to me and we continue to miss her every single day."
Calls for Systemic Learning and Awareness
Stephen is now using Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (January 19-25) to advocate for systemic improvements and greater public awareness. He emphasised: "While Kerry was let down, other women shouldn't put off seeking medical help and attending screening appointments. It could be the difference between life and death."
Dr Simon Constable, chief executive at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, issued a formal apology: "We have apologised to Mr Pugh and his family that the standard of reporting failed to meet that which the Trust strives to provide. We recognise the importance of learning from mistakes of this nature and while UHNM no longer operates this screening service, we will do all we can to learn from this incident in relation to our wider laboratory services."
The tragic case highlights critical issues within cervical cancer screening pathways and the devastating consequences when communication failures occur between laboratory results and patient notification systems.
