A grieving son has criticised the Health service because his mother died a day after being sent home from hospital with painkillers.

He branded the standard of care given by doctors at Colchester General Hospital "unacceptable".

It follows the death of Sylvia Nokes, 84, at her home in a village near Colchester, a day after she had been admitted to hospital via ambulance.

Suffering from back, leg and stomach pains, she waited for more than three hours before she was seen by a doctor, who examined her in complete silence and then walked away, the family claimed.

A nurse discharged Mrs Nokes and she was given ordinary painkillers.

The next day she was unwell and an ambulance was called for, but she died of natural causes before it arrived.

Her only son Keith Nokes said: "My mother died peacefully at home the next day while waiting for an ambulance, having been seen by an emergency doctor.

"I believe at the very least the doctor who examined her at hospital would benefit from additional training in communication skills.

"As far as diagnostic skills are concerned, I believe they failed on this occasion. My father, particularly is able to draw comfort that my mother's final illness ended with her slipping away peacefully. That owes more to luck than judgement "

Mr Nokes has sent a letter of complaint.

A spokesman for Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust, which runs the hospital, today said the letter had been received and Mr Nokes's concerns would be investigated.

The spokesman said: "Within the next 20 working days we will fully look into his complaint and report back to him. We regret his mother's death and extend our condolences to Mr Nokes and his family, but we cannot prejudge the outcome of the investigation."

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