London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Dad of girl, 5, with cancer describes hell of coronavirus treatment delays

Dad of girl, 5, with cancer describes hell of coronavirus treatment delays

Ian Johnson, from Middlesbrough, said his family have been through “hell” after a CT scan for his daughter Scarlett Coleman was delayed for four months as coronavirus crippled the NHS

A despairing dad has told of his heartbreak over delays to his daughter’s cancer treatment, amid fears the Covid crisis could see 100,000 cancer cases going undiagnosed.

Ian Johnson was told daughter Scarlett Coleman, five, had lymphoma early this year.

He, Scarlett and the family have been through “hell” after her CT scan was delayed for four months as coronavirus crippled the NHS, with no new date confirmed.

It comes as Macmillan Cancer Support estimates 50,000 people have undiagnosed tumours and this may double by October 2021 without a return to normal.

The charity also says 150,000 patients have had treatments delayed or cancelled, like Scarlett.

Tesco distribution centre worker Ian, 38, said: “We keep getting cancelled... told it’s in the pipeline.

“She screams her tummy and bum hurts. I hope the cancer hasn’t spread to her tummy but we won’t know until the CT scan.

“I heard her crying and saying, ‘Mam, help me’, but there was nothing we could do. It’s affecting us all mentally and emotionally.”

Her mother, Melanie Coleman, 37, added: “It kills me as I’ve been beside her bed for all procedures.”

Scarlett developed the disease as a side effect of a heart transplant when she was five months old.


Mum Melanie, sister Leah, dad Ian and brother Lucas, with Scarlett


It is not believed the treatment delay will be fatal for the youngster, who lives in Middlesbrough with her mum, dad, sisters Kacey and Leah, and brother Lucas.

Analysis of published NHS data up to September suggests 33,000 UK adults should have started cancer treatment but have not.

NHS England said Macmillan’s findings were “flawed” and further data for September and October will show services are recovering.

But the charity’s report – called The Forgotten C – says even in a best-case scenario it would take 18 months to clear the backlog in England and three years in Wales.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust yesterday became the latest to announce it was cancelling some cancer operations.


Scarlett had a heart transplant in 2015


Medical director Keith Girling said the trust took the “extremely difficult decision” to delay four this week. He said: “This delay, however short, will be incredibly hard for the patients and their families, and I’m truly sorry.”

Macmillan chief Lynda Thomas said: “Cancer care is at a crossroads and services cannot be shut down this winter.

“Because of the pandemic, we estimate an additional 50,000 people are missing a diagnosis. It is unacceptable if they face unbearable delays which could affect chances of survival.”

An NHS England spokesman said of Macmillan’s study: “These assumptions are flawed because, thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, cancer treatments are actually back to pre-pandemic levels.

“If you have worrying symptoms you must get this checked.”


Scarlett Coleman with her brother Lucas


There were a further 310 Covid-19 related deaths yesterday. It takes the death toll to 45,675.

The previous day 367 deaths were reported, which was the highest figure since the end of May.

Hospitals in some parts of the country, including Liverpool, Lancashire and Nottingham, are now treating more Covid patients than at the peak of the first wave, the NHS in England said. In Leeds, health officials said only essential operations will go ahead in the city.

Adding to the gloom, a major study estimates there are now 96,000 new daily coronavirus infections in the UK, with the outbreak doubling in size every nine days.

Random testing of 85,000 volunteers in England from October 16 to 25 showed 128 people infected for every 10,000 of the population.

This was up from 60 per 10,000 in the last round of the Government-commissioned React study.

The data, compiled Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI suggests the national R value has risen to 1.6 after briefly falling.

The biggest jumps in infection were seen in the 55 to 64 age group.

Prof Paul Elliott, who led the study, said: “There was a period when rate of rise was decreasing.

“But what we see this time is an increase in the rate of rise and not only a high prevalence in the north, rapidly increasing in the south.”

It follow reports Sage advisors, including Sir Patrick Vallance, have told ministers to expect deaths will hit 500 a day by the end of November. They are pushing for stricter lockdowns and warn 25,000 people could be in hospital with Covid-19 by next month

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×