A WOMAN was allegedly misdiagnosed with cancer in one of a series of errors which led to her death.

Southend Hospital has launched an inquiry after Sheila Murray, 79, died last month.

Mrs Murray, from Canvey, was taken to hospital in July as a precaution after a dizzy spell, as she had previously suffered from a stroke ten years ago.

Days later, as she was about to be discharged, had a fall, developed a cerebral haemorrhage and was wrongly told she had lung cancer.

Meningitis, which eventually lead to her death, was also missed.

The fall, which occurred when Mrs Murray was allowed to go to the bathroom unaccompanied, caused a cerebral haemorrhage which left her unconscious.

The hospital, which recorded 170 falls in July and August, said they believed the bleed on her brain had caused the fall, rather than the fall causing it.

She remained unconscious for three days and was discharged to Nazareth House in Southend when the hospital said there was nothing more they could do.

Mrs Murray died on October 10. A GP used the hospital diagnosis of a cerebral haemorrhage and lung cancer when signing her death certificate.

However, the Southend registrar refused to register the death as no cause had been given for the haemorrhage. She ordered a post mortem which found she had died of meningitis and pneumonia. There was no sign of cancer and the haemorrhage was found to be a secondary cause of death.

Her son, Ian Locke,who has made a formal complaint to the hospital, said: “I’d heard doctors say her meninges [the lining of the brain] looked odd on an X-ray and I asked if she might have meningitis but they dismissed this.

“The doctors called me in the morning after her fall and I noticed the liquid in the pump that was supposed to be stabilising her blood pressure after the fall had not gone down at all. Even after ten hours it was still the same and the alarm kept going off but they just made me feel like I didn’t know what I was talking about.

“In the end I demanded a doctor look at it and he fixed it. The whole thing was a catalogue of disasters. A stroke doctor told my mother she had cancer. I will never forget the look on mum’s face.”

Mr Locke, 53, from Canvey, said his mother had turned her life around after suffering her stroke.

He said: “She was fit, active and a valued individual, campaigning for an end to animal cruelty for years. I believe she would still be with us if she hadn’t gone to hospital”

Hospital deputy chief nurse Cheryl Schwarz said: “We wish to offer our deepest condolences to Mrs Murray’s family. We are conducting a full investigation into the concerns raised by Mr Locke around his mother’s care and treatment at the hospital. We will share the results of this investigation with Mr Locke once our report is finalised.”