Failure to communicate diagnosis

pamweld

Just looking for advice or experience with this, my mother has suffered throat cancer in the past and thankfully has been in remission for quite a few years now, the past year or so has been suffering from shortness of breath to which she understood was due to scar tissue on her throat blocking her airways.
Today however she presented to her local doctor with severe shortness of breath, she was put on the nebuliser in the practice until she felt a little better and was given a letter to bring with her to A&E, she decided to read the letter en-route and the letter stated 'She has been diagnosed with copd and is on reg inhalers'! This is the first she has heard of her diagnosis, she has no idea how long ago this diagnosis was made and how neither her consultant or gp seen the need to tell her, seeing as she is a cancer surviving patient she has quite alot of appointments so she can't even pinpoint which hospital visit this diagnosis may have been made. As you can imagine she is quite upset about the diagnosis and the way in which she learned about it.
Is this common or should she have been informed legally?

Wesser

doesnt sound like great communication.

sometimes its called smokers cough or emphysema or some other softer word as COPD can be an intimidating term for patients?

is she on regular inhalers? what does she think the inhalers are for?