More NHS bungling

How can they confuse lung disease and cancer of the liver?

When doctors told Andy Lees he had no more than six weeks to live he set about the sombre task of preparing for his death. He divided his œ18,000 life savings among his nearest and dearest, leaving enough to pay for his funeral. Then he waited for the cancer to take him. But a year later Mr Lees is still in the land of the living - and has just been told he does not have cancer after all. Now penniless, the 72-year-old is planning to sue the hospital which wrongly diagnosed the terminal illness.

He said: `The doctors told me I had cancer of the liver and the lungs, I had only four to six weeks to live and there was nothing they could do for me. `But they've now said they were wrong and, although I'm still very ill, I'm not dying. `I've given away my life savings because I didn't think I'd need it. Now I'm absolutely skint.'

Mr Lees gave his four sons and his daughter œ1,000 each and told them to use it as they wished. Two grandchildren received œ2,000 each while a further œ3,000 was divided among friends. To ensure he would not be a burden on his family after he was gone, he paid œ6,000 for his funeral and headstone. To make matters worse, the headstone was placed at the spot where he was to be buried at the cemetery near his home in Blackburn, West Lothian. He later asked for it to be removed. He said: `Discovering your own tombstone is quite an experience.'

Mr Lees was taken to St John's Hospital in Livingston last year after lapsing into a diabetic coma. Doctors carried out tests and told him he was dying of cancer, but after several return visits to the hospital they have changed their diagnosis. Now they say he is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which causes the airways to narrow.

Mr Lees said his family were shattered when they heard the initial diagnosis. He said: `My family and I went through hell.' Now the pensioner is housebound and unable to afford the mobility scooter he needs. NHS Lothian medical director Dr Charles Swainson said: `We have met Mr Lees and his family and apologised for any distress caused.' [Big deal!]

Undertakers William Grieve and Son said Mr Lees had specifically asked for the headstone to be put in place when he made his funeral arrangements.

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