Alloa man unable to shower alone after doctors failed to spot cancer
Doctors told Steve Barton who was having problems with breathing and swallowing he just had sinus issues.
An Alloa grandad who uses a voice box to speak after his GP failed to spot signs of throat cancer is telling us his wife needs to help him shower or he could drown.
Doctors dismissed Steve Barton when he approached them with breathing and swallowing issues back in 2020 and told him he had reflux and sinus problems.
It wasn’t until five months later – when things got so bad that Steve went private – that a tumour was found on his larynx and he was rushed to have part of his throat removed.
Steve was forced into early retirement and now has a permanent hole in his neck which impacts his speech, daily tasks and social life.
He told Forth 1: "I had to learn to speak all over again, it took months because I really struggled.
"I started off with the basics like vowels and if it wasn't for my wife Heather helping me every night, I don't know where I would be."
Insurers for the GP practice near Stirling have not admitted liability in this case but they did accept they had no defence to a legal action and have paid Steve an interim payment of compensation until a final sum is negotiated.
One GP prescribed omeprazole after diagnosing acid reflux.
One month later Steve was put in touch with a second GP and a nurse considered an ENT referral but decided to treat themselves.
Staff at the GP practice eventually told him they would refer him but it didn't take place due to 'human error'.
Steve's wife Heather said: "It was like teaching a child to speak all over again, he knew the words but couldn't say them.
"I just can't believe it took these medical professionals so long to do their job and refer Steve to the ear, nose and throat department, it can't happen to anyone else."
Steve was eventually treated at Forth Valley Hospital for a T3 right supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma and underwent a complete laryngectomy and dissection of the neck.
As a result, he has a stoma in his neck which he breathes through which also needs to be cleaned and maintained up to 10 times per day.
Everyday tasks have become problematic like coughing, eating and washing.
Steve added: "I used to really love swimming with my grandkids but that's not possible anymore because I can't risk getting too much water into my throat through the stoma.
"It's really hard having certain freedoms you take for granted taken away."
Lawyers acting for the Medical and Dental Defence Union for Scotland (MDDUS) – the body which indemnifies GP surgeries – agreed to make an interim payment to Steve after accepting there was no defence to be made in this case.
A spokesperson representing Steve's GP practice said: “It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to comment as the case is ongoing.”