Man misdiagnosed with cancer for seven years

A man who underwent seven years of unnecessary treatment after he was misdiagnosed with blood cancer said he had "lost all sense of reality".

Simon Pearson, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, was incorrectly diagnosed with polycythaemia vera, a chronic and slow-growing blood cancer which he had been told was terminal.

"For years I was in and out of hospital, believing I had a condition that could eventually kill me – sometimes lying awake all night, terrified," he said.

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust apologised for the error and said actions had been put in place to ensure it would not happen again.

"Mr Pearson's care had undoubtedly fallen below our usually high standards and caused significant distress to him," said chief medical officer Dr Naj Rashid.

The 41-year-old was referred to the trust with tiredness, a high red blood cell count and abnormal iron levels.

Following his initial diagnosis in November 2017, he was further misdiagnosed with haemochromatosis, a genetic disorder which causes the body to store toxic amounts of iron which can cause organ damage.

As a result he underwent 42 inappropriate procedures to remove blood from his body.

It was not until June 2025 that a nurse raised concerns about his condition during a routine appointment.

Following tests, it was established he had none of the conditions he had been diagnosed with.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "It's great that I haven't got that condition."

But he said he spent seven years thinking "I wasn't going to be here into my retirement years".

His wife Rachel said the news had been the "best news that anyone could hope for with a condition like that".

But there was also frustration after seven years of "constant apprehension of what if? What if"?

There was a fear that the misdiagnosed condition might be genetic, Pearson said, meaning he might pass it on to his children Alfie, 19 and Freddie, 16.

"I felt so guilty and constantly worried about their future," he said.

"I had no reason to dispute anything that I was told and put my trust in the doctors.

"Then to be suddenly told I may not have any of the conditions came as a complete shock.

"I keep asking myself how could this have gone on for so long? I still can't quite believe how care I didn't need went on for so long."

He added that throughout the treatment he suffered from side effects including headaches and fatigue.

"I'm still struggling to come to terms with the fact it was all a mistake," he said. "At times, it feels like I've lost my sense of reality."

He added that he wanted to share his story to raise awareness.

"The NHS is a great thing, the NHS is something that's unique to us but they do fail and I think the point is people should question a diagnosis, if it doesn't feel right you have to do it."

Pearson is taking legal action for medical negligence with solicitors Irwin Mitchell.

The hospital's chief medical officer added: "We are working with him to ensure he has our full support going forward.

"The trust has carried out a thorough investigation into what went wrong and have put in place actions to address issues identified to ensure this is not able to happen again."

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