Hartlepool woman had 'agonising' hysteroscopy without consent

A 51-year-old woman has said she endured an “agonising” hysteroscopy at University Hospital of Hartlepool after not giving informed consent for the procedure.

Dawn Lord attended the hospital in May 2023 expecting only routine blood tests and a discussion about future investigations. As she was leaving, her doctor abruptly suggested carrying out a biopsy. She said she was given no explanation of what this would involve and was “in shock” as she was asked to change for the procedure.

During the biopsy, a cervical polyp was removed without warning. Mrs Lord said she repeatedly told staff she was in severe pain but was not offered any pain relief. When the biopsy failed, she was told a hysteroscopy — involving a small camera inserted through the cervix — would be “a better method”. She said she was not informed of what was happening and recalled hearing the doctor say “can’t get it” during the attempt.

Despite being given a local anaesthetic, Mrs Lord described the pain as “beyond a scale of one to 10”. She continued to suffer heavy bleeding and intense pain over the following days, even fainting during the night. She complained to the hospital and received an apology five months later, along with £400 compensation.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust admitted it had not met the “high standard of care” it strives for and said her complaint prompted a review leading to service improvements. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said the trust had already apologised and committed to improving how it informs patients about procedures and obtains consent.

A hysteroscopy is considered the gold-standard method for diagnosing gynaecological conditions, though the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says a third of patients report severe pain and should be offered appropriate anaesthesia.

Full article here.