THE widow of a Northumberland man who died in a county hospital is threatening legal action over the care he received prior to his death.

Janis Elsdon, 52, of Newbiggin, is considering action against Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust over the handling of her husband James prior to his death at Wansbeck General Hospital in January 2009.

An inquest yesterday heard Mr Elsdon, 51, was admitted to the Ashington hospital on January 15 suffering from liver disease. Mrs Elsdon, of Arygle Terrace, claimed hospital staff were told her husband was allergic to the drug morphine, yet he was given two small doses.

North Northumberland coroner Tony Brown heard nurses at the hospital took the view that father of two Mr Elsdon was dying, and that treatment should be stopped under the ‘Liverpool Care Pathway.’ Staff claimed Mrs Elsdon was aware of this and that she was prepared for them to sign a form stating that resuscitation would not be attempted if the patient’s heart stopped.

However the widow, who owns Maisie Bows baby shop in Ashington, denied both claims. The inquest, at Wansbeck Business Park in Ashington, heard Mrs Elsdon claim she tried - without success - to persuade staff at the hospital to resume treatment, after seeing signs of improvement in her husband.

Mr Elsdon died from liver failure on January 16. Speaking after the inquest last night, Mrs Elsdon said she was considering legal action against the trust over perceived neglect. Mrs Elsdon claims hospital staff ignored her warning over her husband’s allergy to morphine, and that she did not agree to treatment being stopped or the decision not to resuscitate.

She is also angry that staff would not reconsider their decision to offer no further treatment. “Once you are on that Liverpool care path, you are dead,” Mrs Elsdon said.

Last night, the trust defended its care of Mr Elsdon. A spokeswoman said: “The care given to Mr Elsdon was entirely appropriate and of the highest standard. It is our policy to involve patients’ families at all stages of their care and our clinical teams discussed Mr Elsdon’s care with his family at length. We did everything we could for Mr Elsdon.”

The coroner recorded a narrative verdict.