NHS 'thought St Albans cancer patient was from Traveller community'

A woman has said her cervical cancer was not caught early enough because a hospital falsely assumed she was from a travelling community.

Angelina Devlin, from Hertfordshire, says she was not offered a follow-up after giving birth despite a midwife detecting a growth in her cervix.

A letter from the hospital admitted it mistakenly assumed she would not have an address.

The hospital said it would not comment on individual cases.

In October 2017, Ms Devlin, who lives in a house in St Albans, gave birth aged 20 at Watford General Hospital - part of the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (WHTH).

She said a midwife detected a growth in her cervix at the time, but claimed necessary referrals did not take place.

After months of extreme pain and complaining to her GP, she said she was seen by a bladder specialist, who discovered a tumour in her cervix the "size of a large cooking apple".

"I lost fertility, and if I was diagnosed two weeks later, it probably would have been too late for me," she said.

Ms Devlin received intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but her cancer returned.

She was told she had "three months to live" and to prepare for the worst, but said it was "miraculous" she was still alive.

"[The hospital trust] have admitted they didn't send a letter as they thought I was from the Gypsy-Traveller community and I wouldn't have an address, although the address is the same address I've had all the time - I'm a settled person."

The BBC has seen evidence that the 26-year-old has lived at the same address since 2017.

A letter sent to her by the WHTH in June 2018, and seen by the BBC, said: "Patient says she was told there was something wrong with her cervix and that it would be checked at a post natal check six weeks after the baby had delivered but no post natal check was offered and this girl comes from the travelling community and was lost to follow up.

"Clearly we have missed an opportunity to diagnose and treat this girl at a much earlier stage of her cancer.

"She may have had chance to preserve her fertility going forward and her chance of survival would have been significantly improved."

She said she was offered £5,000 from the trust, but she refused the money. Ms Devlin said she was not currently taking legal action.

Ms Devlin said: "Worthless, that's how it made me feel, like my life is really worth nothing.

"The people who were supposed to be taking care of me and my son didn't."

She said her cancer was in remission, and that her bladder and most of her bowel had been removed.

Ms Devlin has learnt to walk again and is living with an organism in her pelvis that makes her susceptible to sepsis.

"My doctor told me they're going to do their best to get me to 30," said Ms Devlin, whose son is aged six.

"I've been living in hell for six years."

The hospital trust said: "We are sorry Miss Devlin has not been satisfied with her experience.

"However, we do not believe it is right to comment on individual cases or claims against the trust.

"If representatives for Miss Devlin contact us, we can discuss how to progress her claim."