Instead of wishing them a Merry Christmas, patients at a GP surgery near Doncaster received a text informing them that they had lung cancer. On Christmas Eve, hundreds of people registered at Askern Medical Practice received the text in error. “A DS1500 for the above patient,” the message requested. Aggressive lung cancer with metastases,” says the doctor. A DS1500 is a form used by people with terminal illnesses to apply for benefits, whereas “metastases” indicates that cancer has spread and is almost certainly incurable. Please accept our sincere apologies for the previous text message sent,” the surgery said in response. “This was sent in error. We should have said to you, “We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” One of the stunned patients was awaiting the results of a lung cancer test. When his partner tried to call the surgery and discovered the lines were busy, the father said he burst into tears. He was told that his results were negative after rushing down to the health centre and demanding to see a doctor. Another patient posted on Facebook that they were “shaking and on the verge of tears” after receiving the message. “Something is clearly wrong at Askern Medical Practice,” they said. Fuming. This is not the first time I’ve received this message. “I was trembling and on the verge of tears. There are several people in the surgery right now who are reading the same text. I was near the surgery and walked in to say ‘what the hell?’. “I’m not the only one, but if they received this text, they’ll be worried.”
