The family of a deceased man from Cumbria, who died of lung cancer after wrongly being told he was cancer-free, has secured a five-figure settlement.

Terry Wilson, a tarmacer from Aspatria in Cumbria, died from lung cancer in October 2018, aged 57.

Mr Wilson first started experiencing health issues in 2016, after suffering with flu-like symptoms. In the spring of 2017, he was diagnosed with lung cancer at Cumberland Infirmary. He was told it was stage two cancer and was both operable and curable.

He was subsequently transferred to Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for the tumour to be removed. Unfortunately, the surgery was not invasive enough and left cancerous tissue behind.

Terry Wilson
Terry Wilson

Despite this, he was later told by the medical team at Cumberland Infirmary that he was cancer-free.

Following a deterioration in his symptoms, he was again diagnosed with cancer in February 2018 and moved immediately into palliative care. He died eight months later. 

Mr Wilson and his wife Alyson contacted national law firm Thompsons Solicitors to start a negligence claim, shortly before he passed away. 

Thompsons, which has extensive experience in cancer misdiagnosis cases, was able to call on the expertise of several medical professionals to help support the claim.

Mrs Wilson has been left angered and frustrated by the treatment they received from both hospitals.

She said: “We’re still heartbroken that Terry is no longer with us. We were wrongly given the all-clear and could not spend quality time with him due to the rapid deterioration in his health.

“It’s very frustrating to know that Terry’s quality of life could have been made so much better with the right care and treatment. No one should have to go through the worry and uncertainty he went through.

"We’re just glad we had access to Thompsons. We were delighted with the settlement, advice and support from our solicitor, Lyndsay. Lyndsay was sensitive and thoughtful when we were in contact, making a difficult and overwhelming process bearable. As a family, we are extremely grateful for all her hard work."

Lyndsay Gibbons, clinical negligence lawyer at Thompsons who represented Mr Wilson’s family, said: “This has been an incredibly distressing time for the family. Mr Wilson and his family were badly let down. He was not given the right level of care and treatment by both NHS Trusts.

“Although no amount of money can undo the ongoing distress our client is experiencing due to the medical negligence Mr Wilson suffered, we’re pleased we could secure a satisfactory compensation settlement to allow Mrs Wilson and her family to move on with their lives with financial security.”