Wye Valley Trust Misdiagnosis Claims

A serious incident review has raised concerns about the accuracy of results reported by a locum histopathologist at Wye Valley NHS Trust. These inaccuracies meant some patients were incorrectly diagnosed and went through treatment for conditions they did not have. You may be able to make a claim if you received care at Wye Valley NHS Trust between 2021 and 2022 and your diagnosis or treatment was affected by an incorrect pathology report.

Concerns were first raised when two patients tissue samples, originally reported as benign, were questioned during routine multidisciplinary team discussions. This led the Trust to review the work of a locum histopathologist who reported on thousands of cases across several specialities. The review identified a number of errors in the reporting of skin lesions and other tissue samples. In some cases, benign conditions were reported as melanoma, while in others, serious conditions may not have been identified.

A misdiagnosis can have serious consequences. It may lead to treatment you did not need or cause significant physical and emotional harm. In the case of Wye Valley NHS Trust, this negligent care may include biopsies, skin lesion samples, mole assessments, or any tissue sample taken to check for cancer or other conditions. If you’re unsure if you’re affected, but you have concerns about your care, our group actions team can offer advice and guidance.

Expertise you can rely on

• Specialist medical negligence and group action solicitors with extensive experience in NHS trust investigations
• Case investigation led by Francesca Paul, Partner and Medical Negligence Solicitor, supported by Christian Beadell, Head of Group Actions
• Access to independent medical experts, including specialist histopathologists, to support your case
• Deep understanding of NHS serious incident review processes and how they affect individual claims
• Recognised for our work in complex, high-value clinical negligence cases
• Free case assessment – speak to us with no obligation
• No win, no fee, so you can pursue your claim without financial risk

We understand there are significant discrepancies in the work of the Locum Histopathologist at the centre of this investigation. The volume of discrepancies has raised serious concerns for patients who were treated based on these inaccurate reports.

Misdiagnosis, particularly for conditions like melanoma, can delay critical treatments or lead to unnecessary treatments, causing physical and emotional harm to patients and their families. This is a serious concern, and can have a significant physical and emotional impact on you. For many people affected by this review, the relief of discovering they did not have cancer was quickly followed by a sense of being let down and understandable concern about future diagnoses.

You may recognise some of those feelings yourself, months of worry, the impact on your family, or the uncertainty that comes from realising you placed complete trust in a result that turned out not to be accurate. Wanting reassurance that steps are being taken to prevent this from happening again is completely understandable.

In response to the findings, we also know that an overarching serious incident was raised in 2023 to ensure that all outcomes from this histopathology review are captured, and that any patients affected by these discrepancies are provided with the appropriate follow-up care and support. If you have concerns about your care, our group actions team can offer guidance and clear advice.