Nurse's death 'avoidable' after she was mistakenly given cancer all-clear, inquest hears

The death of a nurse who developed cancer and died three years after having a cyst removed because she was mistakenly given the all-clear was "avoidable", an inquest has heard.

Catherine Jones, a nurse at Wrexham Maelor Hospital underwent surgery to remove an ovarian cyst in July 2013.

A previous hearing was told that a biopsy sample from the cyst should have been identified as borderline cancerous.

This meant Mrs Jones would have been offered surgery to remove the cancerous ovary which together with other treatments meant she would have survived.

Instead, she was given the all-clear.

However, the cancer returned in the summer of 2016 and Mrs Jones who worked as a staff nurse on the cardiology ward was rushed back to hospital.

Tests revealed a cancerous tumour and she underwent a hysterectomy.

She was told she was all-clear, but, it had spread and she died a few months later.

The resumed inquest which is due to last four days is looking at issues relating to her consultation and treatment. 

In a statement read to the inquest by coroner John Gittins, Catherine's mother Susan Corness, said her daughter had, had "deep concerns" about her care and a "catalogue" of other issues.

She was with Catherine when she died and wouldn't want any other parent to go through that experience.

Retired consultant Philip Toon said an ultrasound scan had identified a cyst in 2012 and Catherine had expressed that she would have liked to have the cyst removed.

The cyst was removed in 2013 and a biopsy indicated that there was no evidence of malignancy.

That surgery would have been more extensive than the removal of just the cyst. He agreed under questioning that there had been a fundamental misunderstanding. 

But he expected that the information would have been picked up elsewhere in the records. 

He accepted that had the operation he recommended been done she would not have died. 

"It has had a catastrophic effect on this case," suggested Louis Browne QC, who is representing Mrs Jones' family.

"Yes," said Mr Toon. 

The inquest is continuing today at Ruthin Coroner's Office.

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