Damages for Failure to Diagnose Skin Cancer at Early Stage

A woman has secured compensation after a consultant failed to diagnose skin cancer at an early stage when it would have been more easily treatable.

After experiencing skin problems, the woman had had regular check-ups for skin cancer for a number of years. In 2014, a consultant who checked a small lesion on her nose incorrectly reported that it was benign.

Seven years later, she was diagnosed with basal-cell cancer, a form of skin cancer. By that time the disease was much more advanced and she had to undergo more invasive surgery, followed by extensive reconstructive surgery. Had she received a correct diagnosis in 2014, the cancer could have been treated in a single-stage procedure and her functional and cosmetic outcomes would have been improved.

She brought a claim against the consultant's insurers, which eventually admitted liability for the incorrect diagnosis. Following negotiations, a settlement of £60,000 was agreed.