Britain: Mistake from a clinic – Instead of “Merry Christmas” it told patients they had cancer

A wrong message on the mobile phones of dozens of patients from a general practice in Doncaster, UK, has left many people reeling.

Specifically, according to the BBC, the managers of the Askern Medical Practice wanted to send all registered patients an SMS to wish them a happy holiday. However, instead of a festive message, they accidentally sent a panicked message just two days before Christmas. The message misinformed them that they were allegedly suffering from aggressive lung cancer.

Sarah Hargreaves, who was awaiting the results of her medical tests, said she was “devastated” when she received the wrong message, only to be told shortly afterwards that the message had been sent by mistake.

The practice has almost 8,000 patients.

The first text said they had “aggressive lung cancer with metastases,” a type of secondary malignant growth. It directed patients to complete a DS1500 form, which allows people with terminal illnesses to claim certain benefits. However, about an hour later, people received a second message telling them it was a mistake and that it was intended to wish them a Merry Christmas.

Carl Chegwin, another patient who, along with his mother, received the text, said he was upset by the overwhelming message that “it was enough to make someone collapse”.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘is this some kind of sick joke?'” Chegwin said, adding:

“It took me completely by surprise… I don’t go to the doctors very often and suddenly, out of nowhere… cancer. I’m sitting there scratching my head thinking, I’m smoking, do they know something I don’t?’

“Just a few days before Christmas people were told they had terminal lung cancer. They can’t do that.”

One woman, who asked not to be named, said she felt very concerned about the message, with family members recently having tests for ongoing chest problems.

“I called the doctors but they put me on hold as usual. So I walked over, as I live around the corner and about six people had arrived there, all panicking as they had received the same message.”

The second message apologized for the mistake, with some patients receiving repeated messages from the practice.

“What if this message was meant for someone, and then they were told it’s a Christmas message, and then they were told again, ‘oh no, this was actually meant for you,'” Mr Chegwin wondered.

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