Drugs/Therapy

Man Who Spent Thousands For Treatment Discovered He Didn't Have Terminal Cancer

By Anne Collins | Update Date: Mar 07, 2017 10:00 AM EST

A 70-year-old former Army engineer who was told by NHS that he had terminal cancer spent £250,000 of his life savings on US doctors who discovered he didn't have the disease. Father-of-one David West was told by UK doctors that he had just weeks to live. He said no biopsy was carried out to confirm he had liver cancer.

Unsatisfied of the diagnosis he travelled to the US in January 2013 for a second opinion. Doctors discovered he had a serious but a survivable heart condition. They acted right away to solve the problem which meant he had to stay away from home for so long.

Mr. West was worked in the NHS until 1977 and was posted on the Middle East in Oman. He diagnosed of terminal liver cancer at Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire in October 2012.

He was disappointed because he was misdiagnosed by the doctors he trusted implicitly and he said it shattered his faith in the NHS. He is a citizen and has paid taxes in England for 50 years.

When he came back he was told he was no longer deemed a permanent UK resident. The disabled pensioner receives £380-a-month and suffers from mobility problems. He has fallen £1,700 behind on his rent and has been warned the bailiff could evict him if he doesn't settle the balance by March 16.                                           

He felt bad when told he was going to die. He wrote his will four or five times and changed it. When he got to the US and was told he wasn't dying he felt quite happy according to Mirror.

Right now he is struggling to pay for internet, rent and phone bills. He spent £250,000 on travel and treatment and even had to sell his Mercedes and collection of vintage motorbikes according to Daily Mail.

During his three-year stay he had 30 blood tests, routine examinations of his heart and tests on his liver, which was in a deteriorated state but was not cancerous.

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust apologized for the misdiagnosis.

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