NHS Wrongly Said Sunderland Cancer Patient Refused Test
A coroner found that a woman with cancer was never offered a different test after she couldn't do the first one — and that delay may have cost her a faster diagnosis.
A woman named Marie Bell died after surgery to remove a cancerous mass in her bowel. Before her death, she was referred for a test called a colonoscopy, which lets doctors look inside the bowel. Because of a hip condition, she could not get into the right position for the test. Doctors wrongly wrote down that she had refused it, instead of looking for a different option.
Coroner Abigail Combes investigated Bell's death and found that no one offered her an alternative test, like a CT scan. A CT scan uses X-rays to take pictures of the inside of the body and would not have required Bell to move into a difficult position. Finding the cancer sooner with a different test might have made her surgery much simpler. Bell had been referred for the colonoscopy in February 2025, just four months before she died.
Combes wrote a formal letter to NHS England, the group that runs England's public health service. The letter is part of a 'prevention of future deaths report,' which coroners write when they think changes are needed to stop similar tragedies. She made clear that if a patient cannot do one test, it should never be assumed they are refusing all tests. She said doctors must always look for another way to help the patient.
NHS England responded by explaining its current rules for bowel cancer screening. It said it was asking hospitals in the region to review how they handle patients who cannot have a colonoscopy. Gateshead Health was the trust responsible for arranging Bell's colonoscopy, while a different trust carried out her surgery. Both organizations said they would review the case and act on any new guidance.
Gateshead Health said it always wants to learn from cases like Bell's and improve its care. It noted that the coroner found an earlier diagnosis would not have changed Bell's outcome, but said that was no reason to stop trying to do better. South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust also said it would look carefully at the case. Both trusts said they would put any new recommendations into action.
"Where one means of investigation is not suitable for a patient due to comorbidities or conditions, this does not mean the patient is declining all investigations and an alternative should be explored."
Comprehension quiz preview
1. What test was Marie Bell originally referred for in February 2025?
2. Why was Marie Bell unable to have her original test?
3. What is a 'prevention of future deaths report'?