Health

Doctor’s Office Meant To Text Patients ‘Merry Christmas.’ Instead It Told Them They Had ‘Aggressive Lung Cancer’

Photo by Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images

Devan Bugbee Contributor
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A Doncaster, England, surgeon’s office got its Christmas message terribly wrong after it accidentally told nearly 8,000 patients they had ‘aggressive lung cancer’ when it meant to say ‘Merry Christmas.’

Askern Medical Practice initially sent a text diagnosing the recipient with “aggressive lung cancer with metastases” Dec. 23, according to a screenshot of the texts from the BBC. The office corrected the error with a second message.

“Please accept our sincere apologies for the previous text message sent. This has been sent in error,” it read. “Our message to you should have read ‘We wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.’”

The messages were purportedly sent about an hour apart, the outlet reported. Members of Askern’s surgery team were unavailable for comment, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Suspect Allegedly Stabs Man To Death At Nightclub Dance Party)

“I had just had a mole removed and was awaiting a result from a biopsy, and I had been to the hospital as my smear test came back abnormal, so yes, I was very worried,” Sarah Hargreaves, who was shopping when she received the original message, told the BBC. Hargreaves reportedly struggled to get in touch with hospital workers following the notification.

Chris Reed, 57, reportedly had a similar experience trying to get in touch with the hospital, he told the Telegraph. His partner apparently broke down after the misdiagnosis. Reed eventually went to the medical center, where staff informed him that the message was a mistake and his results were negative.

“They went from ‘you’ve got lung cancer’ to ‘merry Christmas’ in about an hour,” he stated to the outlet. “Unbelievable.”