Lisa Norris's family to sue over radiation overdose

The family of a teenager who died after receiving a massive overdose of radiation is to launch a legal action against the health board which gave her the treatment.

Lisa Norris, from Girvan, Ayrshire, died in October 2006 aged 16 after being given 19 radiation overdoses at the Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow. She was being treated for a brain tumour.

The family's solicitors Cameron Fyfe said they were proceeding with the action after a report from a world-renowned cancer specialist said that she lost her chances of long term survival because of the error.

Mr Fyfe, of Ross Harper Solicitors, said the family is hoping for compensation worth six figures.

Professor Sikora's report also said that patients who live five years after diagnosis are usually cured as they do not develop recurrent disease after that.

Ken Norris, Lisa's father, said he was glad to be going ahead with court action.

He said: "I told Lisa that I would keep on going to get justice for her. We are hoping to achieve justice for Lisa because they did not give her proper treatment and we don't want anybody else to get this done to them.

"We put our daughter's trust in them and this is what they have done. When you go for an operation you expect it to be done right and they didn't do it right.

"I blame them totally."

An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokeswoman said: "As there is an existing legal claim from Cameron Fyfe, of Ross Harper Solicitors, on behalf of the Norris family regarding this case, we are surprised that the personal view of this one academic is being played out in the media at this time."

"Fiona Cowie, consultant clinical oncologist at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, said: "From an anti-cancer treatment point of view, the fact that Lisa received such a high dose of radiation should have meant a greater chance of her cancer cells being destroyed rather than less as Professor Sikora has suggested.

"The fact that Lisa's cancer returned despite receiving such high doses of radiation demonstrates the rare and particularly aggressive nature of her tumour.

"The clinical concern for Lisa was the effect the radiation overdose would have had on her later and not on the tumour."