A 68-year-old woman who was sent home from hospital four times after being misdiagnosed with trapped wind later died from ovarian cancer.

Barbara Collins was correctly diagnosed with the disease four months after her first visit to Manchester Royal Infirmary. The Daily Mail reports that she died 10 days after the cancer diagnosis.

Mrs Collins had been confined to bed with crippling stomach pains and bowel problems for several months, but was only offered laxatives by NHS staff.

She first visited the hospital on April 6 this year after developing stomach pains that incapacitated her. Her family said that up to that point she had been active. She visited a walk-in health centre on a further two occasions – and then went to accident and emergency. She was even sent home without a diagnosis after a five-day stay in hospital following a referral from her GP.

A subsequent ‘non-urgent’ scan also failed to detect the disease and she was told the crippling pains were ‘trapped wind’.

By the time her ovarian cancer was diagnosed, it had already spread to her lungs.

Mrs Collins had four children and 10 grandchildren. Her daughter, Angela Stubbs 44, from Partington, Greater Manchester said:

‘When they finally did diagnose her ovarian cancer it had spread to her lungs and bowel, but they said she could have chemotherapy – we were horrified when she died.

‘They call ovarian cancer the silent killer, but my mum had the classic symptoms of the disease. I feel so angry about the weeks she spent in bed and in pain. I hope people will hear about the symptoms and might be able to save their relatives.’

The hospital and healthcare officials have launched a joint investigation into Mrs Collins’ death. A spokesman for Central Manchester Hospitals – which runs Manchester Royal Infirmary – said in a statement:

‘We can confirm that we have been in contact with the family and are currently in the process of setting up a meeting to discuss their concerns with key clinicians and a representative from our Patient Advice and Liaison service.’

NHS Manchester, which runs the walk-in centre that Mrs Collins visited, has also launched an investigation. Her family has written to healthcare bosses setting out the number of times she tried to get help for her pain and a diagnosis.

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