Chances missed to diagnose Derby cancer patient sooner
Simon Speck died in April 2019.
A Derby father and university lecturer might have survived if the city’s hospital trust had not missed several opportunities to diagnose his cancer, an investigation has found.
Simon Speck, a sociology lecturer at the University of Derby, died aged 49 on April 19, 2019, just 38 days after he was diagnosed with a rare and extremely aggressive cancer.
His heartbroken widow, Anna Seifert-Speck has fought for the past four years to see her husband’s experience lead to an improved approach to tackling the common misdiagnosis of cancer as Kuttner’s, a rare benign (non harmful) tumour that can be described as indistinguishable from a malignant (active) tumour.
However, a healthcare watchdog has criticised what they say is a lack of sufficient action by the city's hospital.
In August, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman offered a scathing critique of the “failures” in care provided to Mr Speck and the handling of complaints led by Mrs Seifert-Speck by the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.
The ombudsman detailed that Mr Speck’s cancer could have been diagnosed by the trust as early as October 10, 2018, 155 days (five months) before it was eventually diagnosed on March 13, 2019.
A report from the watchdog detailed: “The trust missed several opportunities to diagnose Mr Speck’s cancer sooner.
“There was a small but tangible possibility he would have survived had the failings we have found not happened.
“We think at the very least Mr Speck’s final weeks and months would have been better managed and less painful had these failings not taken place.
The ombudsman ordered the trust to give Mrs Seifert-Speck a £3,750 financial payout and said that it must carry out an overhaul in its procedures for Kuttner’s and for complaints handling.
In December, the ombudsman rejected the action plan presented by the trust as effectively unfit for purpose and said it could lead to the same “failings” recurring.
Stephen Posey, the trust’s new chief executive, wrote a letter to Mrs Seifert-Speck in March, four years on from her husband’s death and eight months after the ombudsman’s report, outlining that the delay in bringing in changes to prevent further harm was “unacceptable” and would be made a priority.
Garry Marsh, the hospital trust’s executive chief nurse, said: “Our heartfelt condolences continue to be with Mrs Seifert-Speck and her family for the loss of Simon in 2019.
“Whilst the health ombudsman case is ongoing and we therefore cannot comment in detail at this time, we have taken Mrs Seifert-Speck’s concerns very seriously and continue to work closely with those involved.
“Understanding that delays can cause additional distress at an already difficult time, we are actively working to improve our complaints process and we apologise again to Mrs Seifert-Speck that responding to her complaint took longer than we would like.”