Bancroft v Harrogate Health Authority

(1997) 8 Med LR 398

QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION

and MrsJustice SMITH

Professional liability — Gynaecological oncology — Conservative treatment — Patient undergoing radiotherapy for cervical cancer — Regeneration of endometrium after radiotherapy — Intermittent bleeding suffered four years' later — Sub-total hysterectomy — Surgeon unable to give patient explanation for bleeding — Bleeding in fact due to second oestrogen implant — Whether reasonable for surgeon to treat plaintiff on basis that she had abnormal endometrium but not pre-malignant condition — Surgeon considering patient at risk of developing endometrial cancer but not that she already had pre-malignant changes — Whether plaintiff suffered recognised psychiatric illness — Whether surgeon negligent in failing to realise that patient's previous implant had lasted unusually long time and that second implant was still active — Whether surgeon acted properly and with all due care when he decided that appropriate operation for patient was sub-total hysterectomy