“I had all the symptoms and can’t understand why I was left untreated for so long,” said Noora Lewis

NEED TO KNOW

• Noora Lewis lost vision in one eye after doctors misdiagnosed her condition for months despite worsening symptoms
• Giant cell arteritis, which can cause blindness if untreated, was only diagnosed after her vision began deteriorating
• The NHS apologized for the delayed diagnosis and is negotiating a financial settlement with Lewis for the failings

A woman was left blind in one eye after doctors failed to diagnose a serious eye condition for months.

In May 2021, Noora Lewis — a 63-year-old from Birmingham, England — visited a general practitioner at Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre after experiencing symptoms like headaches, jaw aches, tender temples and pain on the right side of her face. At the time, she was diagnosed with uveitis, a form of eye inflammation, and sent home with steroids, Southwest News Service reports.

Despite the medication, her symptoms worsened and she returned to her GP the following month. After evaluation, her doctor suspected she had giant cell arteritis and told her to go to the hospital immediately for treatment. 

Giant cell arteritis is the irritation and swelling of the lining of the arteries, typically those in the head, according to the Mayo Clinic. If left untreated, it can cause blindness.

Lewis, a former makeup artist and business owner, rushed to City Hospital. There, a doctor noted that there was no pulse in her right temporal artery, which is a sign of the condition. However, she received a single dose of steroid treatment before being discharged without additional evaluation. 

Lewis’ symptoms continued, so she returned to City Hospital on June 14. She was seen by two doctors, but neither looked into her possibly having giant cell arteritis. It wasn’t until July 25, when she started experiencing vision problems in her left eye, that hospital staff finally thoroughly evaluated her. 

After multiple days undergoing tests, Lewis was officially diagnosed with giant cell arteritis in August 2021.  

“When I was finally diagnosed with giant cell arteritis, I felt angry,” she told the outlet. “Thinking back, I had all the symptoms and can’t understand why I was left untreated for so long.”

Although she received a diagnosis, the condition had already progressed and Lewis suffered irreversible blindness in her left eye before she was able to be treated.  

“My life has completely changed since losing my vision,” she said. “The simplest tasks are now the hardest and I struggle with day-to-day things I used to take for granted, like shopping and using my phone, as letters and numbers appear distorted and can be very confusing.”

“At times I even feel like a danger to myself,” she continued. “I’ve left the gas hob on without realising and now only drive very short distances, often having to rely on a friend or my daughter.”

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Lewis admitted that the experience has impacted not only her independence but her confidence as well. 

“I don’t feel like myself anymore,” she said. “I used to be the fun one. I loved going out with friends or having people over for dinner, but I lack confidence now and find I’m much more anxious, which is so unlike me.”

In a statement, Dr. Mark Anderson — group chief medical officer at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs City Hospital — apologized for how Lewis’ case was handled. Lewis and the NHS are now working to negotiate a financial settlement.

“We have acknowledged that aspects of the care provided fell below the standard we expect and have accepted liability in relation to those failings,” Anderson said. “We recognize the distress caused and the devastating effect that the loss of sight has had on her and her family, and have apologized for this.”

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