A FAMILY have blamed a doctor and a hospital for failing for years to detect the cancer which killed their loved one.
 

The distraught family of 84-year-old Bronislaw Krolikowski, of New Century Road, Laindon, accused Basildon Hospital and the Laindon Health Centre of neglect during the inquest into his death on Wednesday.
 

Essex Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray ruled he died, on April 10, from natural causes.


The post mortem examination revealed the cause of death as a cancerous tumour in the left lung combined with a secondary cause of bronchial pneumonia.


However his widow Kamila, 69, and son Krzyszsztof, 44, claim they first sought medical advice in November 2008 and he wasn’t diagnosed properly until February 2013, two months before his death.
 

Speaking during the inquest Mrs Krolikowski said: “This started years ago and the doctor said it was nothing serious but my husband had cancer and the doctor did not know about this.
 

“It was neglect.
 

“When we went to hospital the he was sent away after just a few hours but he had cancer. They were negligent.”
 

Mrs Beasley-Murray said: “The court appreciates this has been very difficult and there are lots of concerns about the medical care had over the years but they are outside the remit of this inquest”.
 

Speaking after the inquest his family described him as “a loving man who always put other people first” despite his tough upbringing which included spending time as child in a Russian labour camp before coming to the UK during the Second World War.
 

He worked at Ford at Dunton but his family claimed it is the pain they saw him go through in his final years which will stay with them.
 

In November 2008 he visited his doctor at the Laindon Health Centre complaining of problems walking.
 

Over thre next three years the pain, which the family now say was bone cancer, got worse but he was not referred to hospital until November 2011 when they called an ambulance.
 

He was sent home a few hours later with a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis.


By February 2013 he was in agony.
 

Mrs Krolikowski said: “He was screaming in pain, fighting for his life and he was still ignored.
 

“They wouldn’t even give him any painkillers more than paracetamol. It was inhuman.
 

“When he went into hospital for five weeks they found he had primary and secondary cancer.
 

“The treatment should have been years ago.
 

“But he was too old and it was too expensive and they did not want to know.
 

“If they could not save him they could have helped with the pain and treatment.”
 

The doctor was unable to comment.

A spokesman for Basildon Hospital said: "We are sorry to hear that the family of Bronislow Krolikowski have concerns about the care he received at Basildon Hospital.


"As the family have not contacted us about these we are unable to investigate or comment further."