A GRIEVING widow plans to take action against a hospital which she accuses of twice misdiagnosing her husband as having terminal cancer.

An inquest into the death of Ray Scanlan, 74, heard yesterday the County Durham pensioner had suffered a fracture to his vertebrae after a fall in April. He died on June 17, of bronchial pneumonia, following prolonged bed rest.

The retired security engineer, of Thornley village, had spent eight weeks in Darlington Memorial Hospital, having tests, and was twice diagnosed with cancer of the spine.

Mr Scanlan's widow, Susan, said she was pleased with the verdict of accidental death, and that the family would be pursuing a claim of negligence against the hospital.

"It's a good verdict. We can now take if further and it is in the hand of our solicitors," she said.

"When they said they were 99 per cent sure it was cancer of the spine, and then there was no cancer, we just couldn't grasp it. I think now I've got the verdict I'll be able to come to terms with it more."

Darlington and South West Durham Coroner Colin Penna said Mr Scanlan's death had been the result of a chain of events, starting when he damaged his back in a fall in April.

A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Scanlan had a small fracture to his vertebrae and bruising of the spinal chord. He had developed bronchial pneumonia, probably due to prolonged bed rest, and there was evidence of osteoporosis and emphysema.

John Saxby, chief executive of South Durham NHS Trust said: "We would like to apologise once again to Mr Scanlan's family for the distress they have suffered.

"We would encourage them to get back in touch with us and discuss their concerns.