Mum-of-four left bedbound for six years by NHS blunders

DIONNE HART enjoyed a fun family life filled with beach holidays abroad and raucous meals out with her four children.

But that all came to an end when a 17-year-long catalogue of NHS failures left her on the brink of death — and confined to her bed for the past six years.

After having cancer missed for five years, she had to have a hysterectomy, suffered a botched operation and was given the wrong drugs four times.

She has now received a six-figure sum in compensation from the NHS but is unable to go back to work.

The former outreach worker says: “I have gone through hell for 17 years and I will have to deal with it for the rest of my life.

“I have been so let down by the NHS.

“My children have missed out on their mum.

“I haven’t been able to play with them.

“My health problems have been a never-ending nightmare.”

In April the National Audit Office exposed system-wide failures in NHS England including disjointed services and staff with the wrong skills.

Dionne’s ordeal began in 1998 with a routine smear test.

The 45-year-old, who lives in Walsall, West Mids, with engineer husband Paul, 48, and children George, 26, Tommy, 22, Hope, 19, and Charity, 17, says: “It came back with abnormalities and I was referred to the Manor Hospital in Walsall.

“But they did a further test which didn’t show anything so I just got on with life.”

She returned for a check-up in 2000 and again was given the all-clear.

But a year later she started experiencing pain in her cervix.

After mentioning it to her GP, she was told there were no abnormalities in the previous tests.

She says: “I went back in early 2003 and demanded another smear test.

“This time no results came back so I assumed I was all clear.”

In July 2003 a GP at Dionne’s surgery was carrying out a routine check of all smear tests.

She says: “I was told to have another smear test.

“A month later I was urgently referred to hospital for an acid test on my cervix.

“As they watched the screen, the doctor’s face dropped.

“They booked me in for a biopsy.”
A week later Dionne was told she had cancer and needed a Wertheim’s hysterectomy before Christmas.

The 12-hour operation involved removing the entire womb, cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries, part of the vagina and lymph glands.

I took myself back to A&E. Because I was given the wrong drugs, I’d developed flesh-eating bacteria. I was rotting away.

Dionne Hart Former outreach worker

She says: “I was sent home a few days later despite having horrendous pain.

“A nurse didn’t arrive to take out my staples, and suddenly an inch-long hole burst open and pus and green water squirted out.

“The staples were bursting open.

“I had to take them out myself."

The emergency doctor eventually came and explained that she would have died of septicaemia if she had not taken the staples out.

He gave her two antibiotics, but they were the wrong drugs and did not work.

Dionne says: “I took myself back to A&E.

“Because I was given the wrong drugs, I’d developed flesh-eating bacteria.

“I was rotting away.”

Dionne was discharged three days later but given the wrong drugs again.

The infection worsened.

A week later, and after getting the right drugs, she returned to work.

But seven days later she was told she needed more surgery.

Dionne says: “They found a mass on the left ovary and a tumour in my colon.”

Doctors removed her left ovary but they left her with nerve damage and her right ovary misplaced in her groin.

Later appointments showed the second tumour was not in her colon but on her right ovary.

Dionne was left so damaged she has mostly been bed-ridden.
Manor Hospital chief executive Richard Kirby sent a letter of apology for failing to properly report the two smear tests.

Dionne says: “It’s been hell.

“My husband does his best to look after me but I feel like a burden.”

In 2010 Dionne sued the NHS for £2.6million but settled out of court.

She says: “It is not enough to support me and my family for the rest my life.

“This nightmare will stay with me until I die.

“I hope they learn from the mistakes they made.”

Amir Khan, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust medical director, said: “The Trust has accepted samples were not accurately reported and not promptly acted upon and sincerely regrets these lapses in care.

“The Trust notes that the case has now been concluded and would like to wish Ms Hart and her family all the best for the future.”