Cornwall man sent cancer diagnosis text by mistake

A man from Cornwall has been “knocked for six” after he received a communication from the NHS mistakenly informing him he could have cancer.

Gwyn Morley, from Charlestown, was notified by the Urology department at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske on Friday morning that he was an “urgent cancer suspect referral”.

The 72-year-old said: “It sort of knocked me for six but my wife Janet said I hadn’t had any recent blood tests so she was 99.99% sure it was a mistake.”

A spokesperson for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed a “small number” of patients had received an incorrect text message following an error in its patient messaging system.

The communication sent to Mr Morley and other patients read: “You have been referred to Urology as an urgent suspected cancer referral.”

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust spokesperson said: “We can confirm a small number of patients have received an incorrect text message following an error in our patient messaging system.

“This is an isolated incident and action has been taken to prevent further messages being sent in error.

“We are contacting all patients personally to provide reassurance and to allay any concerns they may have. We are deeply sorry for the anxiety this has caused.”

Mr Morley said he had received an apology from the hospital but he and his wife described the message as “ridiculous”.

He added: “My concern is there could be several people wondering what the hell they are to do.”