Mary Crowley was misdiagnosed with terminal breast cancer in 2023

NEED TO KNOW

• Mary Crowley was misdiagnosed with terminal cancer in 2023, leading her family to make drastic life changes
• Her husband, a former GP, died by suicide amid the stress of the misdiagnosis and its aftermath
• The family’s health board, National Health Service Grampian, apologized for errors and pledged to improve communication and reporting processes moving forward

A woman in Scotland was misdiagnosed with terminal cancer, which triggered a devastating series of events for her family.

In 2023, Mary Crowley was told she had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer after having an MRI scan. The diagnosis brought with it a series of life-changing decisions for her family as they prepared for the future, the BBC reported.

"This was conveyed as certainty,” Mary's daughter Lizzie, 46, told the outlet. "We automatically went into planning mode … We sold the family home [in Scotland], which [my parents] both loved. And my brother moved to Scotland from England … to look after [them].” 

Mary's husband, David, a former GP, raised concerns over the initial diagnosis and pushed for second opinions. He eventually took his own life in February 2024, as the family continued to search for answers, per the outlet.

Mary's diagnosis was eventually reclassified as stage 1 breast cancer.

A complaint from the family, upheld by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO), states that Mary's initial diagnosis led to her making “significant life-changing decisions based on this understanding.”

“[The family] later sought their own second opinion as they considered that the interpretation of [Mary's] scan had not taken into account a previous injury. The board performed another MRI scan, which showed no convincing evidence of metastatic disease,” the complaint reads. 

Per the complaint, the Crowley family accuses the Grampian NHS Board of failing to issue an amended report of the scan and having an “unreasonable standard of communication” during the process. 

Dr. Rafael Moleron, cancer lead clinician at NHS Grampian, said in a statement to PEOPLE, "We completely accept the decision of the SPSO in this case. It is clear we did not provide Mrs Crowley with the care she expected or which we aspire to. We apologize unreservedly for our errors and the distress they caused.”

"We have taken decisive action to strengthen how clinical information is shared and recorded to ensure uncertainty and differing opinions are clearly documented, improving reporting processes so that new information is promptly reflected,” Moleron continued.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“My lovely husband took his own life, I believe, due to the stress of my cancer and all the upheaval of moving and trying to get Aberdeen Royal Infirmary [hospital] to downgrade my cancer staging,” Mary told the BBC.

“My dad was so stressed by all of that. I don't think he believed that it was not true,” said Lizzie of her mom's misdiagnosis. “It broke him, having to fight what he thought were trusted colleagues within the medical profession.”

Moleron added to PEOPLE that the board is “enhancing communication with patients” and “ensuring access to independent second opinions where concerns remain.”

Source link