Mistake by UK Hospital That Delivered 'Lung Cancer' Diagnosis Instead of Christmas Greetings

Over 8,000 Patients 'Devastated' by Lung Cancer Diagnosis Text
Hospital Says "Wrong Message Sent"
Correction Issued One Hour Later

[Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A hospital in the UK mistakenly sent lung cancer diagnosis texts to thousands of patients. The hospital apologized, saying it was an error made while trying to send holiday greetings for Christmas.

According to BBC UK, Sarah Hargreaves, who underwent a comprehensive checkup at Askern Hospital in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was shocked when she saw a text message from the hospital on the 23rd (local time).

The message stated that the test results showed "lung cancer with metastasis." Along with this, an application form for DS1500, a treatment allowance provided by the UK government to terminal cancer patients, was attached.

It turned out that the message was sent by mistake from the hospital. An hour later, the hospital sent a correction message saying, "We mistakenly sent a greeting message," and wished "a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."

The problem is that thousands of patients received such messages. According to the BBC, the hospital automatically sent lung cancer diagnosis texts to about 8,000 patients with visit records.

Patients could not hide their confusion amid the erratic barrage of messages. Especially, patients who were undergoing cancer tests at the hospital and waiting for results had to endure an hour of distress, the BBC reported.

Cal Chegwin, a patient at the hospital, said, "I was very shocked by the unexpected message," and expressed anger, saying, "Can a hospital send people messages about terminal lung cancer just days before Christmas?"

Some pointed out that the problem lies in notifying test results via text message itself. It was argued that even patients who actually received a cancer diagnosis would feel upset if they were informed of their condition through such messages. The hospital reportedly refrained from commenting on the incident, saying, "We have nothing to say."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.