I smell another frivilous lawsuit coming DOH !!!!
British cancer patient, 43, commits suicide; may have missed all-clear letter
Canadian Press
February 15, 2005
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LONDON (AP) - A cancer patient who hanged himself may not have received a letter from doctors saying he was clear of the illness, officials said Monday.
Colin Jackson, 43, underwent intense treatment after being diagnosed with testicular cancer last year. He was found hanging from a ledge in his apartment in Gillingham, southeast of London, on July 2.
Doctors sent Jackson a letter telling him the treatment was successful and he was free from the disease. But the local coroner's office said he may not have received the letter because he had recently registered with a different family physician.
"He'd had tests for testicular cancer, but because of the change of doctor we don't know if he'd got the all-clear," said a spokeswoman for the Mid Kent and Medway Coroner's Office.
"Although letters had gone out it seems he may not have got the information through."
The spokeswoman also said Jackson had no financial worries. Although Jackson's relationship had recently broken up "that wasn't thought to be the cause."
Coroner Stephen Beck recorded a verdict of suicide at a hearing Thursday. In British law, a coroner is an official - usually a lawyer - who makes a legal ruling on the cause of death.
Jackson's mother, Patricia Emery, said she didn't believe her son received the letter from doctors saying he was cancer-free.