Louise’s Story – Smear Test Results Wrongly Reported

Louise Gleadell had 3 children. She was very close to her family - her parents, 2 sisters, nephews, and grandparents. They would see or speak to each other most days. Louise worked in the family business but wanted to start her own business one day doing something creative.  

Louise was healthy. She attended to have smear tests regularly. Before she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, Louise’s most recent smear tests were performed in 2008 and 2012. She was always told that the results were normal.  

In late 2015, shortly after her third child was born, Louise started to experience heavy and irregular bleeding, abdominal pain, and dizziness.  

Louise was due to have a smear test in 2015 but had not been able to have it because she was pregnant. When it was attempted in 2016, it was unsuccessful because Louise was bleeding.

Louise saw her GP several times because of her symptoms, and in early 2016 an ultrasound scan was eventually requested by her doctor. The scan appointment was not for several weeks, so Louise paid for a private scan because she was worried about her symptoms. The scan showed abnormalities on her cervix, and her care was transferred into the NHS. Further investigations were performed, and in March 2016, Louise was diagnosed with stage 2b cervical cancer.

By the time the cancer was diagnosed, it was too late for Louise to have surgery, so she was treated in Leicester with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and brachytherapy.  

The treatment was hard, but Louise initially recovered well, and it was thought that the cancer was gone. However, some weeks after the treatment ended, Louise developed new symptoms. Further investigations confirmed that despite the earlier treatment, the cancer had spread and could not be cured.

Louise had another course of treatment on the NHS but was then informed that there was nothing further that could be done for her. She was desperate to live for as long as possible for her 3 young children, so she looked into cancer treatment on a private basis.  

Louise and her family raised funds from to pay for the treatment. They called the campaign “Louise’s Gift of Time”, and they held afternoon teas, raffles, and even boxing matches to raise money for Louise’s treatment.  

Louise was able to have private treatment in London and Germany, but it ultimately did not stop the spread of the cancer.

Two years after she was diagnosed, Louise sadly died from cervical cancer.  

Review of Louise’s Smear Test History

After she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, Louise’s previous smear test results were reviewed to determine whether they had been analysed correctly. The review found that the smear tests performed in 2008 and 2012 had been reported incorrectly.  

Louise was told that the results of both tests were normal, but the review found that they should have been reported as inadequate.  

A smear test result is reported as inadequate when not enough cells from the cervix have been collected in the sample so a clear result cannot be obtained. Inadequate tests should be repeated.

If the smear tests in 2008 and 2012 had been reported correctly as inadequate, Louise would have been recalled so that the tests could have been repeated.

Despite the review of the past smear tests being performed while she was still alive, Louise was not informed of the outcome before she died. She did not know that there had been failures in her care.