A grieving widow has lodged a formal complaint to Health bosses following the death of her husband.

Stephen Halls, 50, was first taken to Colchester General Hospital after collapsing in Fiveways supermarket, Stanway, where he had gone to buy his wife Karen, 36, a present.

He was detained overnight before being sent home. But three days later Mr Halls was readmitted to hospital. He died the following morning.

Mrs Halls said a post mortem examination showed he was suffering from thrombosis with a blood clot stuck in his main artery.

She said: "My husband had been complaining of a severe pain in his lower left leg and was unable to put his foot to the floor. But he was sent home.

"We were told there was nothing wrong with his leg and he was to take painkillers to help with the pain."

Mrs Halls added: "I have now been left a widow at 36. We had been planning to start a family, something I have now got to live with, that I will never have a part of my husband to remind me of his total love for me."

Mr Halls, who died in December, had worked as an engineering craftsman at Essex Fire and Ambulance workshop at Stanway for 22 years.

He and Karen were married in April 1993. Mrs Halls said: "I feel the hospital has let my husband and myself down badly and I do not want anyone else to go through what I am going through."

She has composed an eight-page dossier of events leading up to his death which has been sent to Essex Rivers NHS Healthcare Trust along with a formal complaint.

A spokesperson for the Trust said: "We send our condolences to this lady and the family.

"We welcome formal complaints and our customer care service will look at it very carefully and thoroughly. Our target after receiving complaints is to report back to the complainant with a full and thorough report within 20 working days.

"That is what we will aim to do with this one."

Grieving widow - Karen Halls get some moral support

(Left) Karen and Stephen in happier times

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