Cancer patient sent home with painkillers, dies before Christmas

Mother-of-five, Ashley Meehan, did not have her last wish fulfilled. The cervical cancer patient had hoped to spend one last Christmas with her family. However, two days before Christmas, Meehan succumbed to cancer. Meehan's partner, Peter Potts, pointed out that the general physician wasted time by prescribing Meehan painkillers. If Meehan's cancer relapse had been diagnosed earlier, she might have had more time with her family, her partner lamented.

Meehan was diagnosed with cervical cancer in May of 2018. After her diagnosis, the former nursery school nurse underwent treatment. Post her radio and chemotherapy bouts, Meehan was given the all-clear. The family thought that the fight with cancer was over for her.

Within months, Meehan started having "unbearable pain" in her legs and her bladder. Meehan went to her doctor complaining about the pain. Her GP sent her back with a plethora of pain killers including morphine. The pain killers did not manage to mitigate the pain. Eventually, the pain got so bad that Meehan had to be rushed to A&E at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Even after her hospital visit, the cancer survivor was not asked to get scans done to check if her cancer had relapsed.

In May 2019, Meehan went to a different doctor for a second opinion. Finally, she was asked to do the tests which proved that her cervical cancer was back. The Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire resident grew increasingly weak after the relapse. Meehan had hoped that she would be able to spend her last Christmas with her children and her fiancé.

Potts and Meehan had been partners for a while but before Meehan's second cancer diagnosis, Potts had proposed to Meehan. The proposal took place while she was in the hospital being treated for her pain.

The Sun reported that Potts mentioned if the GP or the A&E doctors had prescribed tests to check if the cancer was back, then maybe Meehan would have had her last wish. Potts stated that his "soul mate" passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and family just days before Christmas. The unfortunate family is forced to mourn Meehan's passing during the holiday season.