Legal fight over tragic mother
‘diagnosed
too late’

A young mother who died of cervical cancer after suffering the symptoms for almost three years should have been diagnosed and treated earlier, her family claim.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Jul 2014, 05:00 BST

Keely Devine, 23, died last year on the Teenage Cancer Ward at St James’s Hospital in Leeds, where she had spent the last four months fighting for her life as her condition rapidly declined.

Despite visiting her GP on more than six occasions to discuss her symptoms and attending hospital up to four times over two-and-a-half years, by the time she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in January 2013, Keely had a large tumour which was obstructing her cervix and had spread into her pelvis.

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Keely of Armley, Leeds, was finally diagnosed with cervical cancer in January 2013 and died on September 7.

Now her distraught 
mother Alexandra Dickinson has instructed specialist medical lawyers to investigate if more could have been done by her GP surgery and staff at the A&E department to diagnose Keely earlier.

Alexandra, who is now looking after Keeley’s three-year-old son Jayden, said: 
“As a family we are still coming to terms with losing Keely and 
in such tragic circumstances.”

An NHS spokesman said no comment would be offered while there was ongoing legal action.

Related topics:LeedsArmleyNHS