John Ford, from Bloxwich in Walsall, was wrongly diagnosed with stomach cancer. He was 68 years old then.
His stomach was removed. Much later, it was found out that the hospital pathologist had misdiagnosed tests and Mr. Ford had only a benign tumor. The operation was carried out in October 2002 at Walsall Manor Hospital. The pathologist responsible for this mishap had been on loan from the Wolverhampton trust. Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust owned up liability for breach of duty of care.Mr Ford was a former army guardsman. He is now 72 years old.
He said: “I now have no stomach and am in constant pain and discomfort. I am either constipated or have diarrhoea and am afraid to leave the house in case I need a bathroom. I do not absorb food so have very little energy and find everyday tasks hard work.”
Mr Ford said: “My wife and I had recently retired and we were looking forward to spending quality time together traveling. However, the operation has seriously limited what I can do. We have no social life any more, and fear all our retirement plans have completely gone out the window.”
His wife Joan added: “I wish with all my heart that on the morning of his operation John had walked out, which he wanted to do.”
A six-figure compensation was given to Mr. Ford.
