A DAD who was misdiagnosed with terminal cancer and spent seven years feeling “terrified” he would die is now suing the hospital.
Simon Pearson, 41, was diagnosed with polycythaemia vera, a slow-growing blood , and spent years in and out of hospital believing he had a condition that could “eventually kill” him.
Simon Pearson has launched legal action against a hospital after being misdiagnosed with blood cancer Credit: SWNS
The dad-of-two believed he had the rare cancer for over seven years Credit: SWNS
But when concerns were raised at a routine appointment last June, tests were carried out and shockingly confirmed that the dad did not have cancer.
Simon, a director, 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.”
The dad has now launched legal action against the hospital with medical negligence after the trust admitted “a breach of duty”.
The hospital has apologised to Simon and said measures have been taken to prevent a similar misdiagnosis happening again.
Simon had been suffering from extreme and was referred to George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, with a high blood cell count and abnormal iron.
Concerns were raised at an appointment last June and Simon was later told that he did not have cancer Credit: SWNS
Simon has launched legal action against the George Eliot Hospital Trust, where he received the diagnosis Credit: SWNS
There, he was diagnosed with polycythaemia vera, a rare and incurable form of blood cancer.
The disease causes the cells to produce too many red blood cells and may also cause people to have abnormally high numbers of platelets and white blood cells.
Although the cancer is caused by a genetic change, polycythaemia vera isn’t usually inherited.
Most cases develop later in life and the average age at diagnosis is 60.
When Simon was given this devastating diagnosis, he was also told that he was suffering from haemochromatosis – a genetic condition that can cause organ damage by building up toxic iron in the body.
If this is not treated, the condition can damage parts of the body including the liver, joints, pancreas and heart.
Despite having a phobia of needles, the dad-of-two underwent 42 injections to drain blood from his body.
He said: “I’ve always had a real , so repeatedly having blood taken from me was traumatic.”
After spending more than seven years in and out of hospital, everything changed in 2025 when a nurse raised concerns at a routine appointment.
Tests later confirmed he had neither polycythaemia vera nor haemochromatosis.
Simon has now launched legal action with medical negligence lawyers Irwin Mitchell after enduring years of “unnecessary” and gruelling treatments.
He is seeking support to deal with the impact as well as losses including earnings and higher costs.
The Trust accepted that proper care could have avoided 42 procedures carried out between 2017 and 2025.
A separate patient safety probe found he was “subjected to clinical practice that has caused harm” and uncovered no medical evidence to support the diagnoses.
Simon, who lives with wife Rachel, 41 and their sons Alfie, 19, and Freddie, 16, said: “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.
“There was also the fear that it was genetic and something I could pass on to my children. I felt so guilty and constantly worried about their future.”
He continued: “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.
“Throughout that time I suffered from side effects including and .
“My quality of life and ability to work were affected, and I struggled to provide for my family.
“I’m still struggling to come to terms with the fact it was all a mistake. At times, it feels like I’ve lost my sense of reality.”
Simon has shared his story to raise awareness in the hope that “something is done to improve care standards”.
“I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve been through,” he said.
The Trust has apologised to Simon and acknowledged that his care caused him “significant distress” Credit: SWNS What is polycythaemia vera?
Polycythaemia vera is a rare, slow-growing type of blood cancer.
It’s usually caused by a change in a gene, which causes the bone marrow cells to produce too many red blood cells.
The affected bone marrow cells can also develop into other cells found in the blood, which means that people with polycythaemia vera may also have abnormally high numbers of both platelets and white bloods cells.
Although caused by a genetic change, polycythaemia vera isn’t usually inherited. Most cases develop later in life. The average age at diagnosis is 60.
Treatment options include:
- Venesection (removing blood) – this is the simplest and quickest way of reducing the number of red blood cells in your blood. It involves removing about half a litre of blood at a time
- Medicine to reduce red blood cells – medicine may be prescribed to slow down the production of red blood cells
- Medicine to prevent blood clots – daily low-dose aspirin tablets may be prescribed to help prevent blood clots and reduce the risk of serious complications
Source: NHS
His lawyer Victoria Zinzan said: “Simon spent years believing he was living with a serious and potentially life-limiting illness, undergoing repeated and inappropriate hospital procedures, which caused him harm.
“The past few years have taken a significant , physical and emotional toll on Simon who remains shocked and upset at what he’s had to endure.
“Although nothing can make up for what he’s been through, we welcome the Hospital Trust’s early admission of liability and are now working with the Trust to ensure Simon has access to the support he requires to try and move forward with his life.
“However, worrying failings have been identified in Simon’s care and it’s vital that lessons are learned to improve patient safety.”
Dr Naj Rashid, chief medical officer for George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, said: “I would like to offer our sincere apologies to Mr Pearson for the failings in the care he received from us.
“Mr Pearson’s care had undoubtedly fallen below our usually high standards and caused significant distress to him. We are working with him to ensure he has our full support going forward.
“The Trust has carried out a thorough into what went wrong and have put in place actions to address issues identified to ensure this is not able to happen again.”
The Sun has approached the Trust for comment.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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