Delayed lung cancer diagnosis - Case 22HDC03118

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora Southern has been ordered to provide a written apology to a man for failing to spot a cancerous mass on his lung scans despite numerous presentations to hospital and chest pain. Southland Hospital breached the code, deputy health and disability commissioner Vanessa Caldwell says.

"In reaching this finding I have taken into account that several different clinicians involved in Mr A’s care failed to identify the abnormality and its evolution adequately and conduct further investigations or surveillance in line with relevant standards, which are designed to mitigate potential errors of perception," Dr Caldwell concludes.