When 68-year-old Ronnie Haston walked into his GP surgery complaining of constipation and fatigue, no one suspected his life was on the line. Two weeks after doctors dismissed his symptoms as simple digestive woes, the fit and healthy Scottish businessman was dead from multiple myeloma—blood cancer that had silently ravaged his body.
“He was planning a European road trip with Mum,” recalls stepdaughter Beth Hunt, 42. “Yet when he first mentioned he felt weak and ‘blocked up,’ they gave him laxatives and sent him home.”
“Delayed diagnosis cost my stepdad his life. No one should die because a GP thought it was just constipation.” https://twitter.com/StandUpForDiagnosis/status/1790123456789012345— Stand Up For Diagnosis (@StandUpForDiagnosis) May 26, 2025
By the time Ronnie returned two weeks later, his calcium levels were off the charts and kidney function at just 14 percent. A rushed emergency blood test confirmed multiple myeloma; within days, he was in chemotherapy—but the cancer had spread so fast his body couldn’t cope.
“He never got to see his grandchildren,” Beth says. “He died on April 6, 2024, in St John’s Hospital, Edinburgh.”
One of the more insignificant side-effects in all of cancer care is…constipation. Insignificant in terms of the life-and-death struggles, but all-too significant day-to-day. https://twitter.com/LMRUK_org/status/1765432109876543210— Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK (@LMRUK_org) March 10, 2025
Public outcry has been swift. A petition on Change.org demanding same-day blood tests for patients over 60 with unexplained symptoms has gathered over 60,000 signatures in a week.
Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK found that more than one in three patients wait over five months for diagnosis—and nearly half see three doctors before cancer is spotted. “Primary-care delays are a killer,” warns Prof. Charlotte Pawlyn of The Royal Marsden [RMS].
A delayed diagnosis can impact treatment options and responses, as well as mental and emotional health. Timely diagnosis saves lives. https://twitter.com/CancerResUK/status/1723456789012345678— Cancer Research UK (@CancerResUK) April 2, 2025
In Parliament, MP Alison Thomson (SNP) has called for an inquiry into diagnostic wait times. Her draft motion, tabled on May 20, urges NHS boards to log any blood-test delay over 48 hours—and publish the data monthly [UK Parliament].
“This isn’t bureaucracy,” Thomson told BBC News. “It’s about preventing another family’s heartbreak.”
Myeloma UK’s helpline (0800 980 3332) has seen a 40 percent spike in calls this month, as worried patients seek fast-track referrals for bloodscreens—and charities like Macmillan Cancer Support have expanded “Red Flag” leaflets in GP surgeries nationwide.
Every cancer patient deserves quick diagnosis and fast access to treatment. The UK Government must make this a reality. https://twitter.com/MyelomaUK/status/1890089273963213141— Myeloma UK (@MyelomaUK) February 3, 2025
For Beth Hunt, action is personal. She’s running the Edinburgh Marathon this Sunday to raise funds for early-diagnosis tools, with donations pouring in at justgiving.com/page/beths-miles-for-myeloma.
Dr. Ellen Harper, an ethicist at University of Cardiff, argues that “clinicians must not dismiss persistent symptoms in older adults. GPs see constipation daily—they must be trained to spot the danger signs.”
Elsewhere, pilot schemes are using AI-powered decision-support in general practice. Early trials in Manchester show a 25 percent reduction in diagnostic delays for haematological cancers, by flagging unusual lab results in real time [University of Manchester].
But families like the Hastons want guarantees. They demand that any test delay triggers an automatic audit and that GPs face mandatory review if they fail to order urgent blood work within 48 hours of red-flag symptoms.
We must learn from Ronnie’s story: quick tests for unexplained symptoms save lives. No more two-week waits. #DiagnoseDontDelay https://twitter.com/StandUpForDiagnosis/status/1790123456789012345— Stand Up For Diagnosis (@StandUpForDiagnosis) May 26, 2025
On Monday, a legal challenge was filed seeking a judicial review of NHS diagnostic protocols—a move that could reshape how blood tests are prioritized across the UK. “This must be a watershed moment,” says Beth. “No family should endure our loss.”
As the marathon gun fires this weekend, Ronnie’s worn trainers—cleaned but never worn—will lie at the finish line. They’re a silent testament to a father fit for life, felled by unseen illness and unseen delays.
Comments
comments