Kearsley mum Pamela Husband should still be alive today according to her devastated partner, who was awarded £140,000 from the GPs who failed to spot that she had a fatal deep vein thrombosis.

The local businesswoman, whose daughter went to Canon Slade School, Bolton, collapsed and died from DVT after flying back from a family wedding in America.

She visited a Salford doctor's surgery three times before her death but none of the doctors requested that she had a medical scan.

Her widower Ian, aged 54, has been awarded an out-of-court settlement of £140,000 from the GPs -- but he is urging local people to follow their instincts if they are unhappy with a doctors opinion.

Mr Husband, a self-employed accountant, firmly believes his wife should still be alive today.

He says the GPs at the Salford practice of Dr Hamish Stedman and his partners Dr Pauline Scholes and Dr Martin Hayes should have spotted the blood clot on three separate occasions when his wife had complained of leg pains. Mrs Husband died at Hope Hospital on May 13 1998 -- just a day after a doctor was called to her Teak Drive, Kearsley, home after she complained of difficulties breathing.

A doctor recorded in his notes that Mrs Husband was suffering a panic attack.

Hours later, she collapsed as she tried to take a bath and her husband called an ambulance. She died in the emergency room at Hope Hospital from a blood clot on her lung.

A post mortem examination confirmed that she had died from a pulmonary embolism.

Mr Husband remains bitter saying: "It's not about the money. I have fought for justice.

"I want people to be aware that doctors can be wrong and to follow their instincts.

"If I could reverse time, I would have taken Pamela to casualty when the doctors refused to send her for a scan. She could have been easily treated."

Mrs Husband's death came completely out of the blue and her daughter, Rachel, who was just 15 at the time, is still suffering deep emotional scars.

Mr Husband explained: "We rang the school and Rachel arrived at the hospital completely traumatised with two teachers.

"She still cannot talk about it without getting upset. This was so devastating for us. Pamela had at least 20 or 30 years left. She could have easily have been saved with blood thining treatment.

"But she didn't want to question the doctors' opinion. She was made to feel like she was wasting everyone's time."

Mrs Husband also had a history of DVT suffering a pulmonary embolism 10 years earlier after a similar long-haul flight.

Mr Husband complained to the Wigan and Bolton Health Authority who said that they could not become involved due the legal action. The General Medical Council said that the doctors had acted appropriately "even though an incorrect judgement was reached." The committee agreed however that because of Mrs Husband's medical history and continued symptoms, the three doctors had acted "insufficiently ".

They were each sent letters of advice from the GMC.

The practice have declined to comment about the matter due to patient confidentiality.