In May 2005, Laurence Ball contracted a chest infection. After several tests, the firefighter was told that he had a cancerous tumor in the upper left lobe of his lung. He was taken for surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where doctors removed his entire left lung.
The surgery was seven hours long. When Mr. Ball woke up, he was informed that there had been a mistake. He did not need chemotherapy because he did not have cancer. His lung had been removed unnecessarily.
“For the next few days I was really traumatized and in deep shock,” said Mr. Ball. “I was exhilarated to have survived the operation and then to be told that I didn't have cancer - I could not get my head around the words."
NHS Grampian acknowledged that Mr Ball’s procedure may not have been necessary, but claims it did not find incompetence or negligence in an internal investigation.
"The clinical course of action agreed for Mr Ball was arrived at following the review of all relevant information, test results, scans, x-rays etc, by a multi-disciplinary group of clinicians,” NHS Grampian said in a statement. “It was considered to be the appropriate action based on all this information.”
Mr Ball disagreed with the claim. “The impact of this on my life and my family is hard to imagine," he said. "I have lost everything - my job, my health and I have had years of what should have been a happy retirement stolen from me.
Mr Ball filed legal action and asked for compensation for medical negligence. Since the operation, he has suffered ongoing medical issues including a deadly collapsed lung. Because he was unable to work, he was also forced to sell his home.
After rejecting NHS Grantham’s initial offer to settle out of court, the former firefighter is seeking a six-figure sum in compensation.
If you, or anyone you know, has been a victim of medical misdiagnosis you too can file a claim for compensation by completing a short Start a Claim form at the TRUE Medical Negligence website.
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