Woman’s cancer signs ‘fobbed off’ for year after GP failed to spot ‘red flags’ and said she had anorexia

A woman was rushed to emergency surgery after doctors failed to spot her “red flag” colon cancer symptoms for a year.

Charlie Puplett, 45, first raised concerns at her GP surgery in Yeovil, Somerset, in May 2019 after experiencing unexplained weight loss, a lack of appetite and a change in bowel habits.

Despite her complaints, the surgery did not test her for colon cancer and one doctor suggested she had anorexia and was “in denial”, according to Ms Puplett. The 45-year-old failed to be diagnosed until almost a year later when she was admitted to hospital after vomiting blood.

An investigation into her experience was detailed in an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) which found that her symptoms should have been “red flags” leading to urgent testing within two weeks.

Due to her delayed treatment, the risk management controller was forced to have an emergency operation to remove two-thirds of her colon and a tumour. She also needed a temporary colostomy bag to allow waste to be divested out of her body.

Ms Puplett said she has been “failed” by her doctors and now feels unable to trust anyone after her symptoms were “fobbed off”.

After recovering from the ordeal, she said: “I kept going back to the practice and they just fobbed me off. They didn’t listen to me at all. I saw a different doctor each time, one of whom suggested I had anorexia and was in denial.

“It all came to a head one evening when, after standing outside clapping for the NHS workers, I vomited blood. I was taken to A&E and diagnosed with colon cancer. I was very frightened and just kept saying ‘no, it can’t be’.”

Ms Puplett, whose cancer is in remission, said she needed therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following her experience and now lives in “constant fear” that she will develop other life-threatening illnesses.

She added: “I’ve got a second chance and I’m thankful for that, but it’s had a huge effect on my life. I still experience severe lack of sleep and restlessness, and I’m constantly living in fear that any health issue will turn into something worse.

“My confidence and self-esteem are through the floor and I have problems trusting anyone. I don’t want this to happen to anybody else, which is why I took my complaint to the Ombudsman. I have to fight not just for myself but for other people too.

“Everyone needs to listen to their bodies. I knew something was wrong but I listened to the professionals who told me everything was okay. If you’re worried, demand things are checked out and get a second opinion if you need it.”

The Ombudsman’s investigation, which included seeking advice from an independent GP, found staff at the practice should have suspected cancer and referred Ms Puplett for further investigation within two weeks.

If she had been referred appropriately, she would have had a planned keyhole procedure, rather than unnecessary emergency surgery and a stoma, it said. She would also not have needed to undergo a further operation a year later to remove the colostomy bag.

The Ombudsman recommended the surgery pay Charlie £2,950 for its failures and put in place an action plan to prevent this from happening in the future.

Ombudsman Rob Behrens said: “Charlie was failed by the professionals who she went to for help and the effect on her life has been significant. Not only did she have to undergo unnecessary surgery, but it has also affected her emotional wellbeing.

“We cannot change what happened but it’s important that when mistakes are made, organisations acknowledge what has happened and commit to learning from these mistakes to prevent it from happening again.”