Woman dies after her doctor Refused' to tell her she had breast cancer

 

A doctor has been ordered to apologise to the family of a New Zealand woman who died after he 'completely forgot' to tell her she had breast cancer.
The woman died earlier this year after a five-year battle with breast cancer which her GP failed to diagnose quickly, despite being told by a specialist that she probably had the disease.
In a scathing report released by New Zealand's Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill on Monday, the GP was told to review his practice and audit his clinical files to ensure he didn't miss more cancer cases involving other patients.
A New Zealand woman died earlier this year after a five year battle with breast cancer after her doctor failed to diagnose it quickly enough, despite being warned by a specialist radiologist
                               
Despite several years of active treatment, the woman died.
The doctor told the inquiry he 'either overlooked or completely forgot about the radiologist's comment in relation to a suspicious lesion', the report states.
Mr Hill criticised the GP for failing to read his own notes, ask the right questions, or reflect on his patient's medical history when assessing her.
'Doctors owe patients a duty of care in handling patient test results, including advising patients of, and following up on, results,' he said.
The GP has been referred to the Director of Proceedings for possible legal action.