Grounds to Complain Against the NHS? Brain Cancer!

Hello All,

My boyfriend was diagnosed with a low grade glioma December 2021. He 'fell through the net' and didn't recieve any comms from his surgeon for 5 weeks from his original telephone call with the consultant confirming his tumour. In January the surgeon said he would have an operation in March and be 'back to normal' by spring. He said the tumour was good and in a good location. 
 

Fast forward, my partner had his op on 27/06/22. 7 months after his diagnosis. His op went well and he is recovering. The surgeon removed all of the tumour. On doing this, the surgeon has confined the tumour is infact grade 3 and therefore cancerous. To say I am absolutely livid deep down would be an u understatement. All the scans up until the op proved no progression or development. Now I sit here and wonder if the op had happened earlier, would the tumour had its chance to grow cancerous? Now my partner has to go through chemo and radiotherapy in a few weeks. 
 

Is 7 months too long to wait for an op of this severity??

  • I'd ask to have a meeting with the hospital with those directly treating your partner, and ask them those questions. If you feel those answers fall below your expectations, most hospitals have liaison officers that you can then approach.

    If you still feel the answers are inadequate, you're then looking at making a formal complaint against the hospital/trust/health board. Not sure what the trusts in England are called. Health boards or trusts. Then failing all that, you'd seek out a litigation solicitor.

    Because no one here is a medical expert, and isn't involved at any level with your partner's care, no one here is in a position to even guess what is what. You really do need to contact those treating your partner first and foremost. Preferably your partner, as they may not even disclose anything to yourself unless a) He's deemed not to be in sound mind and b) You have powers of attorney. It's all complicated.

    I've used the term "you" a lot, that's my mistake. It has to be your partner that gets the ball rolling. Due to data protection laws, they won't disclose much if anything to you without your partner's permission. Also, do keep paper records/ any emails of every interaction you have regarding this because should you not get the answers you seek, you will need paper records or emails.