text: Doctors have been accused of letting a woman die after wrongly concluding she had terminal cancer. Medics told the family of Margaret Hesketh that there was little they could do for the 70-year-old because she was riddled with tumours, her children will claim at an inquest this week. The family claim she was then put on a discredited Liverpool Care Pathway-style treatment for the dying – having fluid and nutrition drips removed six days before she passed away. Medics told the family of Margaret Hesketh there was little they could do for the 70-year-old because she was riddled with tumours . But they claim a post-mortem found no sign of cancer in the grandmother-of-six, and that she died of pneumonia while malnourished. Daughter Karen Masters, 45, said: ‘I want a criminal investigation. I want somebody to tell me why a 70-year-old died in this way.’ Mrs Hesketh went in to the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan on October 28 last year with an infected bed sore and suspected pneumonia. Her medical notes reported that the former factory worker was in ‘poor general health’: she was a smoker who suffered from lung disease and had a heart attack 12 years ago. Doctors ruled out surgery to remove pressure sores because they feared she would not survive the operation. About ten days after she was admitted a consultant summoned the family to tell them a scan had revealed cancer. A Macmillan nurse allegedly told the family Mrs Hesketh probably had less than three months to live. Mrs Hesketh went in to the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan, above, on October 28 last year with an infected bed sore and suspected pneumonia . On November 19, the family say they noticed that Mrs Hesketh’s feeding tubes had been removed and asked for them to be put back. But, they claim, they were told it would cause unnecessary distress. She died six days later. Mrs Masters said: ‘The doctors have destroyed us. We have had to sit there and watch her die, not knowing that she didn’t actually have terminal cancer.’ Hospitals were instructed to phase out the Liverpool Care Pathway in 2013 after a review uncovered ‘heartbreaking’ cases in which patients suffered days of dehydration before their deaths. The hospital said: ‘Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to give any more details but more information will emerge at the public inquest where a more balanced view of events will emerge. ‘We can confirm that since July 2014, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust decided to disregard the Liverpool Care Pathway with regard to patients.’
target: Medics told the family of Margaret Hesketh she was riddled with tumours .
  Relatives say she was then put on discredited treatment for the dying .
  Had fluid and nutrition drips removed six days before she passed away .
  Family say post-mortem exam found no sign of cancer in the grandmother .