A WIDOW claims hospital blunders accelerated her husband’s death.

Christine Hirst, 63, from Holmfirth, says husband James Hirst was left dying with septicaemia (blood poisoning) after hospital staff failed to notice his condition.

Mr Hirst, 73, died on March 7, 2006 after being admitted to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. Two days before he had been diagnosed with colon cancer which had spread to his lungs, liver and brain.

Mother-of-three Mrs Hirst adds a head scan, which Mr Hirst was due to have following a fit on December 24, 2005, could have detected his condition earlier.

Hospital staff had said because Mr Hirst had made a full recovery the scan was not necessary. But when Mr Hirst, a retired bank floor manager, had the scan two months later, it revealed spots on his brain.

Mrs Hirst said: “They said the cause of death was cancer. But I think it was septicaemia or downright neglect.”

“When they told him about the cancer on the Sunday he was fine, considering the news he’d just received. He was laughing and joking that we’d come to his wake.

“On Monday he’d totally changed. He was writhing around. He was restless, delirious and tired but couldn’t sleep.

“I kept pointing out there was something wrong to the nurse. She just stood there looking like she didn’t know what to do.

“I pointed this out to the nurse at 2pm but no doctor came until 6.30pm.”

“I’m completely and utterly lost without my husband.”

A spokeswoman for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust said: “We did receive a complaint from Mrs Hirst following the sad death of her husband which was investigated in line with NHS policy.

“We have shared the outcome of this investigation with Mrs Hirst both in writing and in a meeting with two of our consultants and other hospital staff.”