A grieving son has told how his family's trust in the NHS was shattered by a series of devastating delays that left his mother too ill for life-extending treatment. The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSE) has been ordered to apologise after a damning investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
‘Delay After Delay’ in Vital Cancer Care
The case centres on a 67-year-old retired history teacher from Chelmsford, Essex, referred to only as Mrs S. Described as an active volunteer, choir singer, and tennis player, she first visited her GP with abdominal bloating in January 2023. She was referred to the MSE trust, but what followed was a catalogue of missed targets.
Mrs S received a CT scan on 16 February, a biopsy on 15 March, and a diagnosis of ovarian cancer on 21 March. While told the cancer was terminal, chemotherapy offered a chance to extend her life. However, treatment was not scheduled to begin until a month later.
The Ombudsman found that if the trust had met NHS England waiting time standards, her treatment should have started on 3 April. By the time her delayed appointment came, Mrs S was too unwell to receive the chemotherapy. She died later in 2023.
Missed Targets and a System Under Strain
The investigation revealed stark failures. As a cancer patient, Mrs S should have been diagnosed within 28 days of referral; it took 49 days – a delay of 75%. Treatment should have begun within 62 days of referral; she waited 81 days – 31% longer than the target.
Her son, a 31-year-old chartered surveyor, said the experience was "confusing and frustrating." He stated: "I had trust in the NHS, so whenever they told us things like scans would happen, we believed them. But it was just delay after delay... If she had received the care she should have had, then her quality of life would have improved, and we may have had more time together."
He also revealed he still has "nightmares" about his mother being unsafely discharged without support just days before her death.
An Apology and a Pledge to Improve
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Paula Sussex said the trust's failings caused significant distress. She recommended the trust investigate its performance against national targets and create a robust improvement plan. The trust has committed to this and is rolling out new technology to allocate resources more efficiently.
Ms Sussex added: "While this will sadly not change what happened in this case, it highlights how one complaint can make a difference."
Dawn Scrafield, chief executive of the MSE NHS Foundation Trust, offered a sincere apology to the family. "We know that waiting for cancer diagnosis and treatment is a worrying time," she said. The trust acknowledged increased demand and stated it has begun an integrated improvement plan with partners to speed up treatment times.
This case emerges as the trust struggles with performance. Data shows that in February 2023, only 47% of cancer patients were treated within the 62-day target. By October 2025, the latest available figure, this had barely improved to 47%.
