A tragic case of medical negligence has come to light involving Kerry Pugh, a mother-of-three from Shrewsbury, who died of cervical cancer at the age of 48 in June 2022. Her death followed a critical 15-month delay in diagnosis, which a hospital has now admitted would have allowed her to be cured. Mrs. Pugh had experienced tell-tale symptoms for years, including bleeding, prompting her to undergo a cervical screening. Despite the smear test showing several cell changes, she was incorrectly informed that her results were normal.

Approximately 18 months after the initial erroneous report in June 2018, Mrs. Pugh's symptoms significantly worsened, manifesting as irregular bleeding and severe pain in her coccyx. Subsequent tests delivered the devastating news: she had stage four cervical cancer, with an MRI scan revealing a large, invasive tumor measuring 8cm x 5cm x 5cm – the size of a bar of soap. Due to the advanced stage and size of the tumor, surgery was no longer a viable option. She underwent an operation to have a stoma fitted, followed by a grueling course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but tragically, it was too late to save her life.

Mrs. Pugh leaves behind her husband, Stephen Pugh, 47, and their three children: Morgan, 26, Lily, 16, and Freddie, 13. Following her death, Mr. Pugh initiated legal action against the NHS trust responsible for her care. The University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust has since admitted a number of significant failings. Specifically, the trust acknowledged that Mrs. Pugh was not referred for a specialist examination, which would have diagnosed stage one cancer. They further conceded that a correct diagnosis by the end of August 2018 would have identified stage one cancer, which, on the balance of probabilities, 'would have been cured' by a radical hysterectomy.

Stephen Pugh expressed the profound distress and suffering his wife endured. He described Kerry as the 'most loving and caring wife and mum' who was selfless and always put her family first. Despite immense pain, she maintained a positive outlook for her children. Mr. Pugh lamented watching his wife 'slip away' and spoke of the enduring grief and how family occasions are no longer the same without her. Driven by a desire to honor Kerry's memory and establish the answers she would have wanted, he decided to speak out.

Mr. Pugh hopes that by sharing their story, he can help save at least one person's life, ensuring Kerry's death was not entirely in vain. He urged other women not to delay seeking medical help and attending screening appointments, emphasizing that it could be the difference between life and death. It was revealed that Mrs. Pugh had attended screening appointments over several years and had previously undergone procedures to remove cells from her cervix, having also been diagnosed with high-risk HPV, which is linked to cancer.

Eleanor Giblin, a medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Mr. Pugh, described the case as truly heartbreaking and highlighted the profound effect of Kerry’s death on her family. While nothing can alleviate their suffering, she expressed satisfaction in providing the family with the answers they deserved and stressed the vital importance of learning from the worrying failings to improve patient safety. Dr. Simon Constable, chief executive at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, formally apologized to Mr. Pugh and his family, acknowledging that the standard of reporting failed to meet the trust's expected levels. He affirmed the trust’s commitment to learning from such mistakes, even though they no longer operate this specific screening service, to enhance wider laboratory services.