2 weeks Ago By Izzy Hawksworth
Ron Peacock 's wife Eileen Peacock died aged 72 after she was told she had less than two years to live after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Eileen was first admitted to Hull Royal Infirmary, which is run by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust , with chest pains and scans showed a 'density' between her ribs that needed further investigation. However, nobody looked into her symptoms further and the cancer was only discovered after she had a chest x-ray after suffering from a persistent chesty cough.
Eileen was then dealt a triple blow by being told the cancer had been missed, it had increased in size over the 14 month period and it was now incurable. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital subscription to Yorkshire Post, you can get access to all of our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. She was also told she likely had less than two years to live which Ron, her husband of 52 years, said is "unforgivable".
He said: "It was a disgrace what happened to Eileen. I'm determined to get justice for her and to make sure everyone is held accountable for the things that have gone wrong. "Missing the cancer on the scan was unforgivable, and Eileen was very angry and upset at how she was let down and struggled to cope with it all.
We'd been looking forward to our retirement years together and that was taken away. "She had worked as a cleaning supervisor right up until she became ill. She also loved caring for and riding her horse Casper, who she'd had for more than 20 years, which she obviously also had to stop doing.
" Advertisement Advertisement A serious incident review at the hospital highlighted numerous opportunities where the scan should have been investigated, after she had it in March 2019. When she was in hospital for two weeks for heart surgery, she had a further four chest x-rays to check on her cardiac health. These scans were each found to be "missed opportunities" to look for any other "sinister" concerns.
It was also revealed that the Trust became aware that it had failed to follow up on the March 19 scan - and that it had missed the cancer, in May 2020. Eileen launched legal action against the trust herself prior to her death, instructing medical negligence claims specialists Hudgell Solicitors to act on her behalf. The case has now resulted in an out of court compensation settlement being agreed for Ron but he's angry with how the NHS handled the legal case.
Advertisement Advertisement Ron said: "They admitted their errors, and causing my wife to lose years of her life, but to me it always seemed as though they were dragging their feet. Even when it came to paying the damages which had been agreed it took too long and was weeks after the date it was promised. "That just felt like adding insult to injury, and I felt it was disrespectful given all I have been through.
When Eileen became ill I reduced my working hours to care for her and we also of course lost her income. I've kept Casper as Eileen adored him, but he costs me around £5,000 a year to look after. "So whilst I can never be compensated for the loss of my wife, the money is needed.
Now I intend to ask further questions of the NHS and doctors who specifically cared for Eileen. I think there needs to be individual accountability, not just the organisation, and that's what I am seeking next." Michelle Tebbutt, from Hudgell Solicitors, said: "In the early stages of her claim Mrs Peacock told us that she would always struggle to accept what happened to her.
She was very angry and upset. She and her husband had just finished paying off the mortgage on their home, having both worked hard all of their lives. Advertisement Advertisement "They were hit hard by this news at a time when they had hoped to be able to enjoy the rest of their lives together.
This is a really sad case and this misdiagnosis had a devastating consequence. "As had the scans been further reviewed by specialists, as was the intention, the cancer would have been detected at a much earlier stage, and treatment would have prolonged her life. In such circumstances, where opportunities are missed, there needs to be complete transparency and full investigations.
"Sadly we see far too many cases like this, where people die early because processes have not been followed, and checks have not been carried out. It is entirely avoidable and unacceptable.".
