Family of Isla Sneddon demand review of urgent cancer referrals
Airdrie teenager Isla Sneddon was 17 when she died on March 2 after a six-month battle with cancer.
Her family have told The Herald that if her symptoms were taken as seriously as adult breast cancer treatment, she may still be alive today.
Isla sought help from her GP aged 14 over painful breast lumps, which were first ruled to be fibroadenoma - benign hormonal lumps - in July 2022.
By June 2024, the pain had worsened and the lumps grew in size, with GPs placing an urgent referral for biopsies after cancer was suspected.
Relatives said Isla's referral was downgraded by the breast clinic from "urgent" to "routine" that same month because her age meant she did not meet national guidelines.
In Scotland, adults with an urgent referral must not wait more than 62 days for cancer scans.
Read more:
Isla's condition deteriorated further and by September 2024 - after intensive care and a 10-week stay at Glasgow's Golden Jubilee hospital - a sarcoma was discovered on the lining of her heart.
Sarcomas are rare and fast-spreading forms of cancer, and doctors discovered Isla's cancer originated in her breast.
By the time the discovery was made, it had spread to her heart, lymph nodes and lungs.
Parents Mark and Michelle were told she had just six to 12 months to live.
'By the time they got to it, it was too late,' cousin Mairi McGee told The Herald.
She has launched a petition on behalf of the family demanding the Scottish Government treats cancer suspicion in children with the same urgency as adult patients.
'We want to make clear that all of the care that Isla received from the doctors and nurses was fantastic,' she said.
'The problem we found was that if that referral in June had been placed on a doctor's desk without an age on it, and Isla was seen as urgent, then we could be in a really different place.
'Isla could still be here, she could have had longer.'
Mairi added: "We just think the guidelines are wrong - it is totally crazy and should have been taken more seriously in June."
Scotland has one of the highest mortality rates for under-18s in Western Europe, with approximately 45 infants, children and young people dying every year.
The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland are being warned mandatory clinical standards must be introduced to stop more young lives being lost.
Alongside the ask on urgent paediatric referrals, the family are asking for clear accountability and follow ups when referrals are delayed or downgraded, and training for clinicians to recognise early signs of cancer in children.
The family also demand a "formal review into paediatric diagnostic delays" to "identify systemic failures".
Mairi told The Herald her family are "devastated" at the loss of the "vibrant" teenager.
"We can't see how we can possibly move on," she said.
"It feels like we have been in limbo since the day she died.
Read more:
"This has been horrific. Even though Isla was given six to 12 months, we all had a lot of hope.
"Isla was determined to the very end, putting on her wig and eyelashes when she got up in the morning.
"She got six months and two days. Her mum and dad bought her prom dress and she was really looking forward to it but she is obviously not going to be there.
"Isla was responding well to chemotherapy. She just took it all in her stride.
"On the day that Isla died, we didn't expect her to die that day. She was unwell with a bit of a cough and doctors thought it may be viral but days later she died.
"It was so quick and unexpected. We didn't expect to not walk back out of the hospital with her."
Scottish Labour's deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie described the case as a "scandal".
She said: "This is an utterly heartbreaking case and my thoughts are with Isla Sneddon's family.
"It is a scandal that Isla and her family were so badly failed and lessons must be learned from this awful case to ensure no more lives are needlessly lost in this way."
She added: "There must be a review into how cancer referrals for young people are handled so we can ensure people of all ages get the swift, lifesaving cancer treatment they need."
Annie Wells, women's health minister for the Scottish Tories, said: 'My thoughts are with Isla Sneddon's family and friends who will be continuing to grieve losing her in such awful circumstances.
'No parent should have to endure the loss of a child after seeing them go through incredible pain.
'I am deeply concerned that her referral for a biopsy was downgraded simply because of her age.
'I support these calls from her family for mandatory standards to be introduced in relation to paediatric care to ensure that children are treated the same as adults and we never see a repeat of this tragic case.'
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: 'Our thoughts are with the family of Isla on their loss.
'The Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer have been developed to support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms suspicious of cancer and identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist. These guidelines have recently been reviewed with input from clinicians and cancer charities to ensure they are evidence based and help support early identification of cancer.
'To support this a new primary care cancer education platform – Gateway C – was launched on 30 April 2024 in NHS Scotland, supported by NHS Education for Scotland. Gateway C provides innovative, and tailored information to support earlier cancer diagnosis efforts and enable effective decision-making.
'This free online platform is accessible to all primary care clinicians including pharmacists, dentists, and optometrists.'
The petition set up by Isla Sneddon's family can be accessed here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
14 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Ali Oliver highlights importance of keeping children active
Ali Oliver highlights importance of keeping children active (Image: RICHARD LEE PHOTOGRAPHY) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Youth Sport Trust CEO Ali Oliver MBE hopes to create awareness of the need for children to be active as she helped to launch National School Sports Week on Monday. Oliver was at Dame Dorothy Primary School in Sunderland for a day packed with sport and activity as they kicked off the campaign which promotes the importance of daily physical activity by encouraging schools, families, and communities to engage in 60 minutes of PE, sport, and play. Pupils were involved in a Girls Active session where leaders from the student body taught sessions to younger years and PE classes using National School Sports Week resources. It marked the start of a week dedicated to bringing attention to the need for children to spend 60 minutes active each day. 'National School Sports Week is an opportunity to shine a light on why it's important children are active and get those important messages across about not just physical health, but social wellbeing in the digital age,' said Oliver. 'Playing together physically is really important for the cognitive benefits, because sadly lots of adults will judge physical education on their own experiences. 'Today's generation is a much more sedentary generation, and it's really important that the school day compensates for some of the time that young people are more sedentary in the rest of their lives.' The annual campaign highlights and aims to change worrying statistics that indicate children are less active than ever. Research shows that fewer than half (47%) of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officers' guidelines of engaging in an average of 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity daily. In Sunderland, where the week was launched 25% of children in reception are overweight or obese - and over 40% by Year 6. But the Youth Sport Trust are on a mission to change the direction of travel and transform the lives of young people through sport. '[We want] to equip educators and empower young people so together they can create brighter futures through the power of play and sport,' explained Oliver. 'We have a wonderful vision, which is a future where every child enjoys the life-changing benefits of PE and sport. 'We also deliver a number of products and services which schools can use to help them think more creatively, whether it's about how they use their playground, or how they make their maths lessons more active.' National School Sports Week is an annual campaign by the Youth Sport Trust, dedicated to celebrating the power of PE, sport, and play to build brighter futures. This year, powered by Sports Direct x Under Armour, marks the 30th anniversary of the Youth Sport Trust, who is a UK leading children's charity for improving young people's wellbeing through sport and play. Visit
South Wales Guardian
14 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Ali Oliver highlights importance of keeping children active
Ali Oliver highlights importance of keeping children active (Image: RICHARD LEE PHOTOGRAPHY) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Youth Sport Trust CEO Ali Oliver MBE hopes to create awareness of the need for children to be active as she helped to launch National School Sports Week on Monday. Oliver was at Dame Dorothy Primary School in Sunderland for a day packed with sport and activity as they kicked off the campaign which promotes the importance of daily physical activity by encouraging schools, families, and communities to engage in 60 minutes of PE, sport, and play. Pupils were involved in a Girls Active session where leaders from the student body taught sessions to younger years and PE classes using National School Sports Week resources. It marked the start of a week dedicated to bringing attention to the need for children to spend 60 minutes active each day. 'National School Sports Week is an opportunity to shine a light on why it's important children are active and get those important messages across about not just physical health, but social wellbeing in the digital age,' said Oliver. 'Playing together physically is really important for the cognitive benefits, because sadly lots of adults will judge physical education on their own experiences. 'Today's generation is a much more sedentary generation, and it's really important that the school day compensates for some of the time that young people are more sedentary in the rest of their lives.' The annual campaign highlights and aims to change worrying statistics that indicate children are less active than ever. Research shows that fewer than half (47%) of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officers' guidelines of engaging in an average of 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity daily. In Sunderland, where the week was launched 25% of children in reception are overweight or obese - and over 40% by Year 6. But the Youth Sport Trust are on a mission to change the direction of travel and transform the lives of young people through sport. '[We want] to equip educators and empower young people so together they can create brighter futures through the power of play and sport,' explained Oliver. 'We have a wonderful vision, which is a future where every child enjoys the life-changing benefits of PE and sport. 'We also deliver a number of products and services which schools can use to help them think more creatively, whether it's about how they use their playground, or how they make their maths lessons more active.' National School Sports Week is an annual campaign by the Youth Sport Trust, dedicated to celebrating the power of PE, sport, and play to build brighter futures. This year, powered by Sports Direct x Under Armour, marks the 30th anniversary of the Youth Sport Trust, who is a UK leading children's charity for improving young people's wellbeing through sport and play. Visit
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Why our politicians must declare a mental health emergency
Most people don't know these statistics – perhaps we would rather not know. But we need to face up to this mental health emergency as only then can we start to recover. We're using the lead-up to next year's Scottish Election to go public with our concerns. This week we launched our manifesto, a passionate plea to politicians and voters at this time of both crisis and opportunity. We gathered contributions from a remarkable number of our 1,500 colleagues – this is the authentic voice of our College. We're not a trade union but a professional body of senior medical doctors which promotes and hallmarks high standards to keep patients safe. We speak out for some of the most vulnerable members of society and have the experience and skills to advise on Scotland's mental health emergency. As psychiatrists we treat people who suffer from serious and complex mental conditions. We use both biological treatments which are usually medications and psychological approaches, such as talking therapies. Above all our work takes place within trusting, confidential relationships. This takes time and enough staff. Not everything is about money but shrinking finances and further unfair cuts make our work impossible. Listening to the expertise of our senior doctors will help ensure that every pound spent on mental health care goes to where it can do most good. The percentage of Scots reporting mental health conditions more than doubled and increased six-fold in young people between 2011 and 2022. When the current government came to power, psychiatry was already a 'Cinderella' service with only 9% of the frontline medical budget. This government promised to deliver 10% with a further 1% for Child and Adolescent Services. By 2022/23 the spend was down to 8.53% – a £238.5 million shortfall. We lost 22% of the permanent psychiatric workforce between 2014 and 2024. One in four consultant posts are vacant or filled by locums. Delivering that 10% funding promise could do much in this crisis. A comprehensive plan for people with neurodiverse conditions is essential too – as they are currently not counted on waiting lists. Adults may not even have access to a list. Members and trainees on the frontline of practice tell us their energy and idealism are giving way to burnout and 'moral injury'' – guilt that inadequate resources prevent us from giving patients what they need to recover and live full lives. These patients are often unable to advocate for their own treatment. Their lives are significantly shortened – their chronic suffering wastes potential and damages society in every way. The Scottish Government presents a positive spin but when we properly analyse the data, the picture is much more concerning. We call on all those in power to declare a mental health emergency. Then we can all work together to start saving lives. Dr Jane Morris, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@
