A PATIENT watchdog for the Gosport hospital where a woman died after undergoing treatment for sweaty hands and feet four years ago said clinical practices have since improved.

Margaret Lovell, chief officer of Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Community Health Council, said it was important Royal Hospital Haslar had learned from what had happened.

As the Daily Echo reported yesterday, the hospital's then managers, the Ministry of Defence, agreed to pay £180,000 compensation to Kevin Hayward, 40, after his wife Jillian, aged 37, died at the hospital from a chest infection in April 1997.

The MoD agreed to settle the compensation claim without admitting any liability after doctors failed to spot Mrs Hayward's infection.

Mrs Lovell said a closer working relationship in recent years between the MoD and the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust had improved clinical practices.

But she added there is no guarantee the same scenario could not happen again.

She said: "Medicine is not an exact science and the only thing is to learn from things that do not go well and take reasonable steps preventing them from happening again."

Since Portsmouth Hospital's NHS Trust took over Haslar's clinical services in April, doctors and consultants have set up clinical networks to exchange information and improve working practices.

"There is a much closer working relationship between the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham and Haslar.

"The Ministry of Defence and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust have built up clinical networks which have benefited servicemen and civilian patients," said Mrs Lovell.

Under the hospital's new management arrangements the CHC is able to carry out unannounced visits to the hospital's wards to talk to patients about their treatment, the level of cleanliness and menu options.

Since April the CHC has made one visit to Haslar's orthopaedic unit.

However, under government proposals all CHCs are due to be abolished in 2003 and Mrs Lovell expressed her concern at the uncertainty about what will replace them.