A NEWPORT woman is demanding answers from Gwent health chiefs over the death of her partner, claiming there was a 'lack of care' at the hospital where he died.

Celia Jones, of Newport, says she is furious with how the Royal Gwent treated her partner Brian Boulton, 70, who died of cancer of the oesophagus on September 25 last year.

Mr Boulton, who suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), was admitted to hospital for a chest x-ray and CT scan after complaining of pains in his back. But he died of an unrelated illness - cancer of the oesophagus - which was not detected during his medical assessments.

Miss Jones claims her partner of 18 years was not properly diagnosed, and after his death she said the hospital treated her like a friend of Mr Boulton and not his partner.

Miss Jones said she had known Brian since 1986 but that they got together in the year 2000.

She said: "In my opinion there was a lack of care.

“He was fit and healthy but in 2016 he developed pneumonia after being at the Royal Gwent Hospital and then he was discharged to a nursing home where he stayed for a while before coming home around a month later.

“Last year he went for a CT scan and they said to him he was fine but then he had a lack of oxygen and was taken to hospital where he died.

“After he died we found out he had cancer of the oesophagus which was undiagnosed. I couldn’t believe it. It was only found that he had it in the post mortem.

“On the day he died I was told he sat on the bed and died. But I was then told he went downhill in the afternoon but I was not called.”

A letter sent to Aneurin Bevan University Health Board from solicitors CJ Howells, acting for Miss Jones, reads:

“My client questions the care that was received, in particular from September 25, 2017. She spoke to Mr Boulton at approximately 12:40pm and he was begging my client to get him out of the hospital.

“Mr Boulton passed away that day, with those being the last words he said to her. My client wants the question answered as to what happened during his last few hours as different stories have been received. One member of staff stated that Mr Boulton laid on the bed and died, which was witnessed by another staff member. My client is now aware however, that another member of staff was called outside her working hours as Mr Boulton’s health had drastically deteriorated.”

The letter also states that Mr Boulton’s cancer was not picked up at a scan the month before he died.

It said: “There was a further failing when Mr Boulton underwent a CT scan at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr Hospital on August 25, 2017.

“At the scan the cancer was not picked up, despite Mr Boulton dying as a result of the said cancer approximately a month later. The hospital attempted to pass off his death as Respiratory Failure Type 2, yet Mr Boulton’s death was sudden and an autopsy revealed the cause was oesophagus cancer, and earlier intervention could have prolonged his life.”

Miss Jones said: “I want an apology for everything that has gone on.”

A health board spokesman said: “We are investigating the concerns raised by Ms Jones and will respond to her as soon as the investigation is complete.”