Two Essex Health authorities were today criticised for "failing to provide an adequate service" to critically ill patients.

Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs services in Colchester, Clacton, Harwich and Halstead, and Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, which covers Chelmsford, Braintree, Witham and Maldon, were both criticised after inspections by the health ombudsman.

They were among 76 investigated after complaints between August and November last year.

A report published today revealed misdiagnoses and long waiting times had led to the deaths of two patients.

A complaint against Colchester General Hospital was upheld after a woman claimed her husband died when consultants failed to act on a blood clot in his heart.

"There were sufficient indications that his collapse was unlikely to have been due to a simple faint," inspectors said.

A spokesman for Essex Rivers said: "We accept what the ombudsman said and we failed this patient. But we do take complaints extremely seriously and thoroughly investigate them so we can learn lessons for the future."

Broomfield Hospital, in Chelmsford, was criticised for failing to treat a man suffering from throat cancer - after diagnosing him with "moderate inflammation" in December 1999.

Inspectors partially upheld a complaint which said the hospital should have diagnosed the cancer earlier, and acted on the referrals sooner.

The ombudsman did not criticise staff for the incorrect diagnosis but upheld the complaint that the referral had not been treated with enough urgency.

A spokesman for Mid Essex Trust said: "We have sincerely apologised for the shortcomings highlighted within the ombudsman's report and in particular for the delay experienced.

"We have already begun to implement changes within the Trust which should help to ensure that such a situation does not happen again."

Published Wednesday, March 20, 2002