THE FAMILY of a terminally ill woman who died in hospital are planning to make a formal complaint about the way she was treated in her final days.

Pearl Barnes, 62, had lung cancer when she was admitted to Queens Park Hospital in Blackburn with severe sickness on June 14.

Her daughter, Leanne, of Hoddlesden, told an inquest that Mrs Barnes' doctor had been surprised at her death because he felt she was responding well to chemotherapy.

Hospital staff were unable to diagnose the cause of her sickness and 11 days later she died, the inquest was told.

An inquest yesterday found that Mrs Barnes died of pneumonia brought on by her cancer.

A pathologist found that the sickness was caused by a stomach ulcer, but said it did not contribute to her death.

But her family believe hospital staff could have been treated better, even though her condition was terminal.

After the hearing, her husband Alan Barnes, 73, of Sunny Bower Close in Blackburn, said: "Today has cleared up the way she died but it hasn't cleared up the way she was treated in hospital.

"We know she only had a short time to live but life is precious."

"We will be finding out the procedure of how to complain about the NHS."

Coroner Michael Singleton said he was aware that the family was unhappy with the way Mrs Barnes was treated in hospital.

He said he did not feel it was necessary to call hospital staff to give evidence to the inquest because it was not the correct place for the family to air their grievances.

He said he was satisfied the death was due to natural causes.

He said: "Mrs Barnes was entitled to be made as comfortable as possible and that could only be achieved by an accurate diagnosis being given.

"It seems that for whatever reason they were unable to do that.

"But it is in no way beneficial to speculate that had things been different what the outcome would have been.

"I have no reason to believe that it would and it would be tormenting yourself to believe that."