Mum given four rounds of chemotherapy on NHS discovered she didn’t need the treatment when she googled condition – and is now suing hospital
Jodi Huggett, 41, found that treatment given by blundering hospital had never been proven to work on her type of tumour
A MUM who was wrongly given four rounds of chemotherapy on the NHS after an operation to remove a tumour discovered she didn’t need the treatment – when she “googled” her condition.
Jodi Huggett, 41, underwent the gruelling therapy, which twice caused her to go into anaphylactic shock, after surgery to remove a low-grade form of bowel cancer.
Feeling “desperately unwell” Huggett went online to research “neuroendocrine tumours” and realised her treatment had been a mistake. Chemotherapy had never been proven to work on the type of tumour she had.
Huggett has taken legal action against Hull and East Yorkshire Hospital’s NHS Trust who has agreed to pay her compensation after admitting the oncologist failed to consider accepted UK and European guidelines, with regards to the most suitable course of treatment.
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The Trust also admitted the decision breached the hospital’s duty of care.
Huggett, from Caistor, North East Lincs, said it was “disgusting” she felt so poorly that she had to look into it online herself.
She found a blog dedicated to people with the same tumour as hers that referenced the Royal Free Hospital in London as a specialist centre.
Huggett contacted the hospital after questioning the treatment, based on her research, who agreed to review her case.
“They told me chemotherapy never has and never will be proven to work on a tumour like the one I had and the only way it would have been required was for a palliative care patient, which I wasn't,” she said.
“I suffered from coldness of the lips, fingers and toes, low energy and tingling as side-effects of the chemotherapy and I didn’t even need it.
“It shouldn’t have happened, it’s heart-breaking.”
Huggett remains unhappy and claims the admission from the hospital only came after she took legal action, demanding a full investigation into her care.
“It’s ridiculous. Think about the cost to the NHS and the nursing care, the amount of chemotherapy, anti-sickness drugs, steroids and anti-depressants I was on.”
Huggett has since been diagnosed as cancer-free.