Cervical Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims
When cervical cancer symptoms are missed or misdiagnosed, the impact on patients and their families can be severe. All healthcare professionals have a duty of care. If you experienced worsening symptoms due to lapses in care, you may be entitled to pursue a cervical cancer compensation claim.
- No Win No Fee claims available
- Medical negligence specialists approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
- Over 15 years’ experience with proven client success
- Support across England and Wales
Can I make a cervical cancer claim?
In the UK, there are more than 3,250 new cases of cervical cancer every year. Despite this dangerous type of cancer having only a 51% 10-year survival rate, it’s almost entirely preventable.
When the symptoms of cervical cancer are incorrectly identified or go unnoticed, patients and their families suffer severe consequences. No matter their specialism, all healthcare professionals owe a legal duty of care to their cancer patients. If you experienced debilitating or worsening symptoms as a result of faltering care standards, you might have grounds to make a cervical cancer compensation claim. You could also claim on behalf of a family member.
If you think you have a claim or would like to know more, please speak to our team of medical negligence experts. We understand that making that first call can feel daunting but we’re here to explain the process in simple terms. When you request a free, no-obligation call with us, we will listen to your situation and let you know if you have a case.
If you’d like to go ahead with your claim, we’ll support you through every step of the process. Our team of No Win No Fee solicitors will deal with the complex matters and you generally won’t pay a penny if your claim is unsuccessful.
What is cervical cancer negligence?
If your cervical cancer was incorrectly diagnosed or mistaken for something else, and you suffered as a result, it’s likely that you experienced cervical cancer negligence. Either situation could leave you in pain for longer and make your condition harder to treat.
No matter when the negligence occurred in your healthcare journey, you can start to make a claim as soon as you’re ready. A few of the common types of cervical cancer negligence include:
- Cervical cancer misdiagnosis – when your GP fails to carry out an appropriate examination or diagnoses you with an incorrect condition.
- Missed cervical cancer – when a mistake is made when carrying out your cervical smear test or your healthcare team fails to offer you the appropriate checks.
- Administrative errors – when your test results are stored incorrectly, misinterpreted or mixed up with another set of results.
- Unsuitable treatment – you could have suffered negligence if you were prescribed the wrong medication or an unsuitable treatment plan.
Each of these errors could have serious consequences on your health and affect your everyday life too. If you’ve had a similar experience, our specialist solicitors will help you to pursue a claim for fair compensation.
About cervical cancer
There are two most commonly seen types of cervical cancer:
- Squamous cell carcinoma: Cancer affecting the flat, skin-like cells that cover the outer surface of the cervix. Accounts for up to 90% of cervical cancers.
- Adenocarcinoma: Starting in the mucus-producing glandular cells, this type is less common. It appears in between 10 and 20 cervical cancers out of 100, affecting the inside of the passage that runs from the cervix to the womb.
The symptoms of cervical cancer can affect anyone with a womb. They include unusual vaginal bleeding, unexpected discharge, and pain in the lower back, lower tummy or pelvis. If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s very important to visit your GP.
Your doctor should then arrange a prompt cervical screening, also known as a smear test. This will check the overall health of your cervix and is the main process for identifying and preventing cervical cancer. In the UK, free screening is offered to everyone with a cervix aged between 25 and 64.
Why make a cervical cancer negligence claim?
Any type of cancer can be incredibly challenging to cope with, both emotionally and physically. When you’re unlucky enough to suffer cervical cancer misdiagnosis or you’re diagnosed too late, the consequences can get very serious.
Critical mistakes by medical professionals, including missed cervical cancer, can jeopardise your quality of life, long-term well-being, and personal relationships. Compensation alone can’t change the past but it could help you to:
- Cover the costs of essential treatment from quality private care providers
- Focus on the future and ease your financial concerns
- Find a sense of closure and start to move forwards
- Highlight the issue within the healthcare system and raise awareness
If you’ve only just started thinking about making a claim, it can be hard to know if your case will be successful. While the thought might feel initially overwhelming, our specialists are here to support you both before, during and after the claims process. If you’d like to know more about how we can help through the cervical cancer claims process, please get in touch.
Our expertise in handling cervical cancer claims
Carla Duprey Solicitor in our Medical Negligence Team says;
“Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, with 99.8% of cases being avoidable through screening and early intervention. Unfortunately, misdiagnoses can turn a treatable condition into a life-threatening one. As expert medical negligence solicitors, we stand by victims of these failures, helping them secure the compensation they deserve. It’s not just about financial recovery; it’s about justice and accountability.”
FAQs about cervical cancer misdiagnosis claims
The first step is getting in touch for a free initial consultation. There’s no obligation to go any further than that but we’ll discuss your situation and let you know if we think you have a potential case. If we agree to help you pursue a claim and you’d like to go ahead, here’s what happens next:
- We’ll match you with an expert solicitor, who will request details of your healthcare and medical history. This will need to include details and evidence from when the cervical cancer negligence
- Your solicitor will then prepare a formal statement, which you’ll need to review and approve. After you’ve signed it, the statement is sent to independent medical experts.
- Following your solicitor’s investigations, we will send a letter to the healthcare provider, doctor or hospital trust you’re claiming against. This will state your claim by explaining what happened and why they are at fault. They have four months to reply.
- If the defendant admits liability, your medical negligence solicitor will attempt to negotiate compensation directly. In the event that this is disputed, your solicitor will carry out further negotiations.
We aim to settle most cancer claims outside of court but will take things further if necessary. You can rely on our expertise to steer your case to success, even if it goes to court.
Cervical cancer claims typically have a time limit of three years, either from the date you became aware of the negligence or from the date that it first occurred. This rule is commonplace across different types of medical negligence claims.
However, some exceptions apply. Courts typically allow more time to children and people without the mental capacity to undergo the process independently. When you get in touch, our solicitors will let you know which claim time limits apply to your case.
Pursuing a claim can feel daunting but starting it as soon as possible will increase your chances of successfully winning compensation. It allows more time for the most accurate evidence to be gathered and may also help you address your financial or medical needs sooner.
At Been Let Down, we offer a range of different funding types. If we think that your cervical cancer claim has a high chance of being successful, we’ll explain your options.
We handle most claims on a No Win No Fee basis, which you might’ve seen referred to as a Conditional Fee Agreement. This means that you generally won’t owe us any legal fees if your case is unsuccessful. If we secure your cervical cancer misdiagnosis compensation, you’ll pay a small pre-agreed portion of it to cover our services. This is typically up to 25%, so you can rest assured that the payout will always be enough to start moving forward.
You can learn more about how our No Win No Fee claims work online.
As with many other forms of medical negligence, cervical cancer misdiagnosis is taken very seriously by the courts. Every case is different, so the compensation awarded may vary according to the gravity of your condition. Our legal specialists will aim to obtain the maximum possible amount for your situation.
The final amount could depend on factors like:
- The severity of your pain and symptoms
- How your cervical cancer has affected your family life and support network
- Your ability to work and any other financial consequences
- Any support, medical treatment or care you may need in future
No matter your experience with cervical cancer, our solicitors will evaluate your case thoroughly for the best possible outcome. Our team refer to the latest edition of the Judicial College Guidelines and to case law to ensure that we recover the maximum amount of compensation possible.
Whether the negligent treatment happened through private healthcare or the NHS, you can still make a cervical cancer claim. Our team have extensive experience in navigating NHS claims, which involve a slightly different process.
If you do proceed with a claim against the NHS, you won’t need to worry about your payout affecting the quality of health services for other people. NHS Resolution is a separate body responsible for processing and resolving claims made against the NHS. This service pays out claims from a separate budget to compensate victims fairly.
Sometimes, medical negligence can leave someone unable to carry on with their normal routines. To support a loved one through a cervical cancer claim to help them gain their independence back, you or another suitable adult could act as a Litigation Friend. This allows someone to act in the best interests of the claimant.
You can be appointed this responsibility for someone who:
- Lacks the mental capacity to handle their own case, even with a solicitor
- Is under 18 years old
As a Litigation Friend, your loved one be called the ‘protected party’ in court. You can’t act as the other person’s lawyer, but you will have to go to court if there’s a hearing.
Why choose Been Let Down to guide you through a cervical cancer claim?
If you’ve been failed by the team of healthcare professionals responsible for your care, we can help you through this upsetting time. Here’s why you can trust our expertise in cervical cancer misdiagnosis claims:
- We’re approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with a commitment to meeting industry-wide standards.
- Working as an independent law firm for nearly 20 years, we’ve got the experience required to carry cervical cancer claim cases to success.
- Our team of medical negligence solicitors are members of the Law Society, the Liverpool Law Society and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
- We lead many cases on a No Win No Fee basis, where you don’t pay anything unless you win.
- With hundreds of positive client reviews behind us, we’re proud to deliver a service you can rely on.
Get in touch today
If you’ve been unlucky enough to experience cervical cancer misdiagnosis, you don’t need to suffer in silence. Whether you’re sure about your circumstances or you’d like to find out if you’ve got a claim, we can help.
Contact us today if you’d like to discuss your situation. We’ll put you in touch with one of our experienced solicitors, who will guide you through the process in simple terms. Call us for free on 0800 234 3234 or request a call back at a convenient time for you.
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Sara is a qualified Solicitor and Head of the Liverpool Clinical Negligence Department at Been Let Down.
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