Tragic Kelly died after being given all-clear

- 06 May 2005;Used with kind permission of the Sunday MIrror

KELLY Glossop was a 28-year-old with everything: to live for – but she died of cervical cancer after THREE GPs and NHS screening failed to spot the disease.

The office administrator from Bradford visited her doctors' surgery TEN times after she suffered painful gynaecological problems.

But for months her GPs put the symptoms down to a sexually-transmitted disease and didn't refer her for further investigation.

Kelly became seriously ill a year later and was rushed to hospital, where doctors diagnosed cervical cancer. But by then the disease was inoperable.

Her devastated family has now discovered she was wrongly given the all-clear from a smear test three years before the diagnosis.

Last night her stepfather Gerald Robertshaw, 50, issued a warning to young women to pay attention to their health to prevent a tragedy like this happening again.

"Young girls-have got to be made aware of this, he said. "They must listen to their bodies and, if there is a problem, see their doctor immediately. Smear tests must not be taken as gospel."

Kelly, who worked at B&Q, first visited her GP at the Highfield Health Centre in Bradford in April 2002 after she experienced stomach pains and bleeding. The GPs put the symptoms down to chlamydia and Kelly was given a course of antibiotics. Over the next nine months, Kelly was repeatedly tested for the infection and each time the results came back negative. She was never referred to a Gynaecologist, despite having classic symptoms of cervical cancer.

Her mother, Irene Glossop, said: "The GPs always said the problems were caused by an STD - they never mentioned cancer.”

After Kelly's death in August last year, her family contacted Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust which analysed her last smear test in 2000.

Hospital chiefs revealed that although Kelly had been given the all clear, concerns had been raised about the smear test. When the hospital re-checked the test this year, experts said Kelly should not have been given the all-clear as the smear showed the possibility of "high-grade changes". The family are now taking legal action against the hospital.

Last night the Medical Protection Society issued a statement on behalf of Highfield Health Centre, saying: "We are unable to comment upon the specific details of this tragic case".