A HAMPSHIRE widow is suing a hospital trust and two GPs over her husband's death.

Margaret Nesbit has accused two doctors at Nightingale Surgery in Romsey and Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust of negligence in their treatment of her husband, Neville.

He died, aged 54, in October 1998 of heart disease, which Mrs Nesbit claims could have been cured by an urgent bypass operation.

Mrs Nesbit, of Tavistock Close, Romsey, hopes to claim damages at the High Court in excess of £50,000 for herself and her 15-year-old son, William.

Mrs Nesbit, 53, says the doctors - Peter White and Susan Tippett - and Southampton General Hospital knew her husband had a family history of heart disease, was a former smoker and suffered from high cholesterol and obesity.

In the summer of 1998, he began experiencing chest pain, but Mrs Nesbit claims that despite several consultations with both doctors, plus tests at the hospital, no one picked up on the seriousness of his condition.

Mrs Nesbit declined to comment on the writ to the Daily Echo.

Glenn Duggan, practice manager at Nightingale Surgery, said: "This is news to us - neither ourselves nor our agent were aware of the filing of this writ, even though it was the best part of a month ago. We therefore cannot comment but we would actually place the matter in the hands of our solicitors."

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust declined to comment on the details contained in the High Court writ, which is a public document.