A GWENT woman claims she is in a "painful limbo" after problems with the handling of what she fears is a worsening gynaecological problem.

A waiting room mix-up over two patients with the same first name was followed by medical notes being lost, and the apparent discovery of a benign but ulcerated and infected tumour that appeared later not to have been recorded.

On Friday July 17, several weeks after being referred with the gynaecological problem, 24-year-old Dannielle (CORR) Blood, of St Dials, Cwmbran, was sent to the Royal Gwent Hospital's surgical unit with suspected appendicitis.

"A nurse called her name and another Danielle got up as well, then came back out and Dannielle was called through," said Miss Blood's partner Craig Evans.

"She wasn't asked for her surname, or clarification of her details, despite the misunderstanding. I had to ask for that. It seemed to be a lack of duty of care."

By the following day a gynaecological problem was instead suspected. After two hours of waiting for Miss Blood to be seen as an emergency, the couple were told her notes had been lost.

"They couldn't find them. I said someone could have picked them up and left with them. They said yes, but didn't seem worried," said Mr Evans.

"They said they would have to rewrite them and send them over (to obstetrics and gynaecology). It was a farce."

Miss Blood was finally seen by a doctor five hours later.

"She said I had a benign tumour that had become ulcerated and infected, but couldn't tell me how long it had been there, as I'd been in pain for a while," she said.

Having been told she could not have a smear test, Miss Blood was discharged with antibiotics and sought to arrange one herself.

More than three weeks later, the problem persisting and one test having been cancelled, she attended Newport's genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic. A smear test was ruled out as she was too young, and an examination could not detect the problem highlighted earlier.

"There was nothing documented in the notes either. That looks like poor record-keeping. I was told to keep taking the antibiotics and referred to pain therapy," said Miss Blood.

Several days later, in mid-August, she was finally smear tested at her GP surgery and an examination found inflammation and "something that should not be there," she added.

Since then, Miss Blood has remained on painkillers and though the smear test did not reveal anything cancerous, she is still waiting for an appointment from the original referral.

"I'm in limbo and it feels like it is getting worse. Without the painkillers I wouldn't be able to function. It's very worrying," she said.

Concerned at the problems she has encountered, the couple are pursuing a complaint with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, but say they have not received a substantive reply within the 30-day target.

"It feels like a complete lack of duty of care and that they're not interested," said Mr Evans.

A health board spokesman said: “We cannot comment in detail on individual cases in order to protect patient confidentiality.

"However, we can confirm that we have investigated concerns raised through our formal complaints process, and a response is due to be sent out within the next few days.”