The Valencian Superior Court of Justice has awarded compensation amounting to 100,000 euros to a woman the late diagnosis of her cancer by the Health Centre in Guardamar del Segura
In the judgement the Valencian High Court of Justice also condemned the Generalitat stating that the woman was initially treated for anaemia.
The woman, a native of Madrid and now aged 69, had been attending the Guardamar centre since 2011. She saw her doctor on several occasions, complaining of tiredness and fatigue, and was being treated for anaemia and although an analytical blood in stool tested positive in June of that year, the doctor didn’t look beyond his first diagnosis.
Sixteen months later, in May 2012, the patient was treated by another doctor at the centre who, observing her blood test, referred the patient for a colonoscopy that led to the diagnosis of colon adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that develops in the lining of the colon or rectum, which makes up the large intestine
According to the Patient Advocate, in August of that year the patient then underwent surgery followed by chemotherapy.
After several treatments the cancer spread to the lung. The tumour continued to progress requiring several further interventions.
During the Judicial proceedings a complaint was filed against the doctor, which led to the opening of criminal actions in the court of investigation number 5 of Torrevieja, which concluded with a report by the medical examiner who established malpractice.
As a result, the patient then indicted the doctor for a crime of professional recklessness, but pending trial, the defendant died in August 2016.
