ANGRY relatives of a patient who died in the care of Mr Baumber are calling for a radical change in the "closed-ranks" culture of the NHS.

Elton pensioner, Mrs Irene Roby, died two days after a routine gall bladder operation last March.

Her son Lee and his wife Jane said it is crucial for hospital staff to blow-the-whistle on incompetent colleagues without fearing for their jobs.

"Two weeks before they operated on my mother-in-law, nurses had raised concerns about the care another patient received so why was Mr Baumber allowed to continue working?" demanded Jane.

"There was clearly a problem but no action was taken. Mr Baumber also had cancer so he should not having been working in the first place." Mrs Roby condemned the treatment of Mr Baumber's patients as "disgraceful".

"We thought my mother-in-law was going in for a routine operation her death should never have happened. What we can not understand is why things were allowed to go so far."

The Roby family are currently taking legal action against Bury Health Care NHS Trust.

Although findings showed that alternative surgery and post-operative care would not have necessarily altered the outcome, Mrs Roby's family believe her death could have been prevented.

"It was only supposed to be a straight-forward operation. If action had been taken sooner I am sure this would not have happened," said Mrs Roby.

"Hospital staff need to be more open and confident that there jobs will not be effected if they raise concerns with management."

Mrs Roby said she and her family are very angry about the treatment they have received.

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