Mother given unnecessary Chemo for 6 years

A mother is taking legal action against the NHS after being subjected to more than six years of unnecessary chemotherapy.

Samantha Smith, 45, was diagnosed with a brain tumour and treated at University Hospital Coventry, where she was told she required surgery, radiotherapy and long-term chemotherapy. However, despite clinical guidelines recommending just six months of treatment, Ms Smith remained on chemotherapy for six and a half years on the advice of consultant oncologist Professor Ian Brown.

She was only instructed to stop taking the medication after Prof Brown retired. A new consultant later confirmed that her chemotherapy should have ended after six months. Prof Brown is now under investigation by the General Medical Council.

Ms Smith, who lives in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, with her partner Mark and their three children, has been unable to work since her diagnosis. “Part of my life has been stolen,” she said. “But I trusted my consultant, like so many of us do.”

In a letter to Ms Smith, the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust apologised for the “excessive treatment” she received and the impact it had on her health. The trust said the prolonged chemotherapy caused constant fatigue, tooth decay, early menopause, memory problems, leg pain and a significant decline in her quality of life.

Ms Smith was diagnosed in May 2014 and underwent surgery, although part of the tumour could not be removed. She was subsequently advised by Prof Brown to begin intensive radiotherapy alongside monthly chemotherapy.

Despite regular MRI scans, she was not told until 2021 — seven years after her diagnosis — that her condition was stable and she could stop the medication.

The trust confirmed it has launched an internal review into Ms Smith’s care and acknowledged that the extended course of chemotherapy was “not supported by scientific evidence.” It added that measures have since been put in place to prevent a similar situation occurring again.

This article is for general information and interest purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice, nor does it necessarily represent the views of HCB.