A HUDDERSFIELD woman's positive test for cancer was accidentally filed away for nine months.

Now, terminally ill Margaret Jackson, 47, of Bradley, has received compensation from the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary - where an inquiry into the case is under way.

The hospital took nine months to diagnose her gall bladder cancer - despite tests picking it up almost immediately.

It is believed that a temporary member of staff filed away her vital results during an office move at the Acre Street site.

Mrs Jackson, who lives in Alandale Road with husband Paul, also 47, was discharged from the hospital in January, 2003, after a gall bladder operation and believed all was well.

But within months she was forced to return to the hospital after being wrongly told she had ovarian cancer. She had a 7in cyst removed.

It wasn't until September, 2003, that a specialist asked for her file to be re-examined - and the deadly mistake made at the beginning of the year was detected.

The couple, who have a grown-up daughter, were devastated to learn that nothing could be done for Mrs Jackson.

They missed out on potentially life-lengthening help which can be provided after an early cancer discovery.

Mrs Jackson said she was angry and scared.

She added: "It's something you can't get away from.

"It's little things like wanting to walk along the promenade at Scarborough, which I can no longer do."

The former Tesco checkout assistant said she was disgusted with how the error had happened.

She added: "You don't think of it in this day and age of computers and telephones. The world has shrunk, but those results were in the same hospital and they didn't even pass on the information they had.

"Something that monumental should not be missed by anybody."

Mrs Jackson is still undergoing chemotherapy and battles with constant pain.

The couple have asked not to be told of her prognosis.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust said: "We deeply regret what has happened to Mrs Jackson.

"As a result of the investigation a number of recommendations were made. We are implementing them to try to ensure that this doesn't happen again."