A Suffolk woman’s taken her fight for change to Westminster after losing her mum to cancer
Chloe Hickman's petition is calling on the NHS to double-check all tumours before giving the all-clear.
A Suffolk woman has taken her fight for change to Westminster, calling on the NHS to double-check all tumours before giving the all-clear.
What happened?
Chloe Hickman’s mum, Louise, died last year, five years after being told a tumour on her ovary was benign.
Chloe explained what happened.
"In June 2024, my mum tragically passed away from ovarian cancer. Five years before this, she was diagnosed with a mature cystic teratoma, which her consultant deemed to be benign. However, this was later determined to be a misdiagnosis; it was in fact, cancer.
"Her cancer metastasised over the next five years and unfortunately took her life on the 26th of June 2024. Following her passing, we received a report from the hospital that attempted to provide explanations, such as workload and statistical data, highlighting the rarity of this cancer. These felt more to be excuses rather than explanations.
"The report also stated that had this been picked up initially by the consultant, there is every likelihood that my mum would still be here today.
"She could have fought this misdiagnosis herself. However, due to failure to take the correct actions, we are now left to fight on her behalf, in her honour."
The NHS response
Dr Tim Leary, interim chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Ipswich Hospital, expressed his "deepest sympathies" to Miss Hickman and her family.
"We launched a patient safety investigation following the delay of her cancer diagnosis. We have met with her family and shared the outcome of that investigation," he said.
"We understand they still have some concerns and questions. We are listening and our teams will continue to support them further at this very difficult time.
"The lessons learned from Louise's care and treatment will be used to improve our processes and services."
"We are now left to fight on her behalf, in her honour"
At 24 years old, Chloe started a Change.org petition calling on the Government to implement Louise's Law, which would make it mandatory for benign test results to receive a second opinion from a specialist.
Her campaign has now gathered nearly 60,000 signatures.
Under current NHS guidelines, patients seeking a second opinion is a right but not a legal one, according to The Patients Association, a charity campaigning for improvements in health and social care.
Chloe believes her mother, whom she has named the legislation after, may still be alive today had her diagnosis in 2019 been detected as malignant sooner.
Attending Downing Street
Exactly a year on from her mother's passing, she took the petition to Downing Street to deliver it in person and demand justice and to enforce Louise’s Law.
She said "Last year was the darkest time, but from that heartbreak, I forged a fire. I’ve turned grief into determination, sorrow into purpose and my pain into a relentless fight for what’s right.
"This is living proof that you can be the change. If you think one person cannot enforce change, this is proof that you can. I have fought relentlessly to see this day, and it has resulted in such a horrific date now holding a more positive purpose."
Chloe told us the whole experience has felt "unreal"
"It feels so surreal, I don't really feel like I've done it. I just felt like it was really important to do it on this day, obviously, today is the one-year anniversary of my mum's death, and I just feel it was really poignant to do it on this day. "
So what comes next? Chloe explained they now have to wait for Downing Street to acknowledge they have received the petition and then wait to see if it can be pushed forward from there.