A medical center accidentally informs patients that they have cancer
WeirdNews
A medical center accidentally informs patients that they have cancer
(Web Desk) - Imagine scrolling through your inbox a few days before Christmas, casually reading heartfelt Holiday greetings, and then receiving a message from your medical centre informing you that you have “aggressive” cancer.
Forget completely ruining someone’s Holidays; this type of message could cause a heart attack or at the very least a panic attack. Sending such a message by mistake to one person would be considered a serious error, but sending it to thousands of patients is nothing short of a disaster.
The Askern Medical Practice in Doncaster, UK, has approximately 8,000 patients, and it is believed that on December 23, it sent a cancer notification to the majority, if not all, of them by mistake. The text message informed recipients that they had “aggressive lung cancer with metastases” and directed them to a special form for people with terminal illnesses.
As you might expect, reading the text was a terrifying experience for many recipients. Some had recently undergone various tests and were anticipating results, so learning that they had an aggressive cancer was devastating.
“I had just had a mole removed and was awaiting a result from a biopsy and I had been to hospital as my smear test came back abnormal, so yes, I was very worried,” one woman told the BBC, adding that she “she “felt sick to my teeth and broke down”.
“It completely caught me off guard... I rarely go to the doctor; then, out of nowhere, its cancer. “I’m sitting there scratching my head, thinking, “I do smoke, and do they know something I don’t?”
Complained another Askern customer. “They only found out a few days before Christmas that they have terminal lung cancer. They are unable to do so.”
Panicked patients dialled Askern Medical Practice immediately after receiving the dreadful text, only to be put on hold, worsening their anxiety.
Fortunately, the nightmare was short-lived, as patients received a second text message about an hour later informing them that the first had been a mistake.
Askern Medical Practice intended to send its clients an automated “Merry Christmas” message but instead informed them that they had aggressive lung cancer. Someone in customer service will have to explain themselves.
