A doctor who failed to record the vital signs of a man who died hours later has been criticised by an independent inquiry.

Healthcall, the GP answering service, has also been blasted in the review panel's report after Richard Joiner, 53, waited almost six hours for a doctor to call at his home on Canvey.

His wife Marilyn, 51, telephoned six times and was told someone would be with him soon. She said she would have called an ambulance had she been told how long it would take for help to arrive.

When Dr Herbert Montague Brown did turn up, the panel agreed his "mannerism was below the expected level" and criticised him for failing to record Mr Joiner's pulse, blood pressure, and respiration. These could have helped point towards the condition from which Mr Joiner died nine hours later.

Mrs Joiner, of Church Parade, said yesterday she was devastated by the panel's findings. She said "The way in which he died has caused myself and my two sons overwhelming sadness.

"What is hardest to live with is that he was not given a chance to go to hospital where his life may have been saved."

Mrs Joiner telephoned for a doctor at 7.43pm on July 4 last year, as her husband, a retired industrial engineer, was continually vomiting, was cold and clammy and had turned a funny colour.

The doctor arrived at 1.33am and gave Mr Joiner an injection after his wife mentioned he had suffered from diarrhoea following an ulcer operation.

The doctor advised he should be taken to the surgery in the morning.

Around 10am the following day, as Mrs Joiner was making arrangements for Mr Joiner to visit the doctor, he died from a blood clot near the heart.

Following her complaint to South Essex Health Authority, an independent review panel considered the circumstances.

The report concludes: "There was a substantial delay in providing medical assistance to a very sick patient, the blame of which lies on Heathcall Services."

Healthcall told the inquiry one of their GPs was off sick that evening but the minimum number was available for cover.

Stephen Lamb, Healthcall's regional manager said yesterday: "We cannot discuss individual cases but we take all complaints very seriously whether they are to the health authority or not.

"If any improvements can be made as a result of a complaint we will bring them to bear."

The manager of Dr Herbert Montague Brown's practice at the Southminster Medical Centre, near Burnham, said: "This is a very private matter and we have no comment to make."

Overwhelming sadness - Marilyn Joiner, pictured during happier times with her husband Richard

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