Vicky Mcloughlin, 66, from Tamworth, was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer in November 2024 after struggling to use the toilet for two weeks. Despite her condition, she has been denied potentially life-saving surgery twice.
Her daughter Chloe, 33, noticed her mother "wasn't herself" and later learned Vicky had been unable to use the toilet for a fortnight. After experiencing bleeding, Vicky underwent an endoscopy that initially found nothing. Chloe then took her to A&E, where a scan revealed a mass in her cervical area.
Diagnosis and refusal of surgery
A biopsy confirmed cancer, with doctors finding the tumour had formed in her bowels before spreading to her cervical area. Infections and a build-up of fluid, caused when the tumour tore both her bowel and cervical area, made her unsuitable for surgery. Vicky received two rounds of chemotherapy instead.
Chloe appealed to medical teams at Solihull Hospital and St Mark's Hospital in London to perform surgery, but both refused due to excessive risk, fears Vicky could lose a leg, and a likely deterioration in her quality of life. In correspondence, doctors said they had "significant concerns" about how she would cope, stating it would not be "in her best interests".
Family's plea
Chloe, who runs a dog walking business, argued her mother's quality of life was already drastically impacted, with hospital visits needed every fortnight. She said: "It was a lot to process when she was diagnosed. We never would have thought where we are now and be in the situation we are now. The only way to cure her is through surgery."
She added: "A hospital in London, and one in Solihull both refused. They said it was too major and she could lose her leg and they said with her age they don't know if she'd survive the surgery. They said she'd have a better quality of life without the surgery - but to me that's not the case."
Medical complications
Vicky's tumour has remained confined to the bladder, bowel and cervical region, but infections can trigger sepsis. Chloe described how the tumour caused a hole in the bowels and cervical area, leading to infections. Vicky has had multiple drains, four in the last two years, and surgery for a stoma bag. A recent drain failed due to thick fluid, but was eventually removed as it was putting pressure on her kidneys.
Vicky now has tubes draining urine directly from her kidneys and no longer uses the toilet. She has had sepsis five times in the last two years and cannot have any more treatment.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Birmingham, which runs Solihull Hospital, said: "We have great sympathy for Mrs Mcloughlin and her family at what is clearly a difficult and distressing time. Decisions about radical cancer surgery are very complex and are never taken lightly. Any advice given is based on a careful assessment of the potential benefits and risks, and are coordinated by a multi-disciplinary team, with the clinical team's overriding priority being what is safest, and in the patient's best interests."
London North West University Healthcare Trust said it could not comment on individual patients' circumstances.
