NHS Trust Neglect Contributes to Patient Lung Cancer Death in Sunderland

Anne Lorraine Dyson, 68, died from terminal metastatic lung cancer in February 2025 after a delayed diagnosis due to neglect by the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. Despite being monitored for over three years, a CT scan in March 2024 was misinterpreted, and scans from October 2023 showed increased growth in her lung, leading to missed opportunities for earlier treatment. Senior Coroner David Place concluded that her death was due to "natural causes contributed to by neglect" and highlighted the trust's inconsistent approach to interpreting medical scans, which lacked comprehensive symptom information for radiologists and risked confirmation bias. The coroner issued a prevention of future deaths report to the trust, urging improvements to avoid similar cases. The NHS trust apologized and acknowledged the missed vital warning signs, committing to reviews aimed at preventing recurrence. The Care Quality Commission and Ms. Dyson's family were also sent copies of the report, with calls for updates on lessons learned and review outcomes.