A 'heartbroken' husband has spoken out about delays in his wife's cancer treatment which he claims contributed to her death, writes Health Reporter Michaela Robinson-Tate.

Jim McBride said he wanted to prevent a repeat of the ordeal faced by his wife, Sylvia, 62, who endured a two-month wait for surgery for cancer of the pancreas.

By the time she reached the operating theatre the condition was found to be inoperable.

Mr McBride, 67, is convinced his wife of 43 years would have survived if she had had the surgery sooner, and wants the individual or institution responsible ' brought to account'.

He is being backed by MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Collins, who this week tabled parliamentary questions about Mrs McBride's treatment.

He described her case as ' nothing short of appalling'.

Mrs McBride's GP Dr Simon Wilson is also supporting Mr McBride.

The doctor has resigned from full-time general practice partly because of the pressures faced by GPs, and the cases of other patients whose cancer treatment has been delayed.

As part of the NHS Plan, the Government is aiming to reduce the mortality rates from cancer by at least 20 per cent in people under 75 by 2010.

Mrs McBride, of Owlet Ash Fields, Milnthorpe, who had five daughters, first felt ill in the New Year.

She had an appointment with Dr Wilson on February 5, and saw a consultant one week later.

A scan was carried out within the next fortnight, and cancer was confirmed following an endoscopy, or internal examination, on March 5.

Mrs McBride was referred to University Hospital Aintree on March 16, but was not admitted until April 25.

Mr McBride said this happened after he intervened and telephoned the Liverpool hospital to report his wife was in a 'very poor condition'.

The grandmother of ten was due to have her operation on May 4 but her surgery was cancelled at the last minute.

She was sent home and later readmitted, and the surgery was started on May 19, when it could not be carried out because the disease was found to be spreading to her liver and lungs.

Mrs McBride eventually died on June 24 in St John's Hospice in Lancaster, with her husband and eldest daughter by her bedside.

Mr McBride is convinced that the cancer worsened during the wait for surgery.

"Her fighting spirit was tremendous," he said.

"She had everything going for her a patient needed to be able to survive an operation."

He said if she had been operated on very quickly, 'then it would have been a matter of recovery'.

Mr McBride, who said he was 'angry' and ' heartbroken', added: "If enough weight is brought to bear it should help prevent this continually happening."

He said he was not out for 'vengeance' but wanted patients with life-threatening conditions given priority.

"That's the thing that would have saved my wife."

MP Mr Collins has tabled parliamentary questions to health secretary Alan Milburn.

He asked Mr Milburn to call for a report on the pancreatic cancer surgery policy at the hospital, and requested details of the number of people waiting for such surgery in March.

He is also calling for a review of pancreatic cancer services in the North West.

"I am determined to make sure no other Cumbrian family has to live through the same nightmare," he said.

Dr Simon Wilson said Mrs McBride's case had reinforced to him that his decision to resign from full-time practice was correct.

He is now working as a locum.

He said there had been no 'urgency' in his patient's treatment.

"She would have been in with a chance, if it was done promptly," he said.

Bosses at Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust expressed their condolences to Mr McBride.

They said ideally patients were treated within six weeks of referral, and so Mrs McBride had been admitted on April 25.

She was too weak to have surgery immediately, and was 'provisionally' listed for surgery on May 4 depending on sufficient time becoming available.

This was not possible and surgery went ahead on May 19.

In a statement they said: "The condition that Mrs McBride was suffering from required complex and prolonged surgery and the surgical team came in on a Saturday especially to undertake this procedure.

"The trust is very sorry that Mrs McBride's case was found to be inoperable."