A GRIEVING mum says her late son was left stunned after being told he had cancer over the phone by hospital staff.

Terry Cohen, from Clacton, should have been told of the deadly diagnosis in a face-to-face meeting.

But instead he was given the devastating news that he had lung cancer over the phone by a member of staff at Essex County Hospital.

Terry, who lived with mum Johanna in Clacton, had been to the hospital for a routine scan to investigate a lump he had found on his back.

Mrs Cohen, 86, said: "Four weeks later the hospital rang him and told him he had lung cancer.

"They didn't do it face to face, and it should have been.

"He should never have been told over the phone. It was really out of order, he was lying in bed worrying.

"He was really shocked and he lost a lot of weight because of it.

"He had a bit of a cough but he never mentioned it to me whether he was in pain or not. But he died four weeks later after he got the call. He was a wonderful son."

She nursed her son at home as his condition deteriorated, aiding him with day to day tasks and helping him use the stairs as he struggled to walk.

Terry died on April 21, eight weeks after his diagnosis, aged 62.

Brothers Dennis, 63, and Alan, 55, helped organised the funeral at Weeley Crematorium.

Mrs Cohen plans to make a complaint to the hospital about how he was given the diagnosis.

Official hospital procedure about giving news to cancer patients is that it should be in person.

A spokesman for Colchester Hospital Trust said: "The communication of significant news should be delivered in a face-to-face scenario as opposed to a letter or telephone as the primary source of information delivery.

"Clearly, the mother of this patient has concerns. If she hasn’t already done so, we would strongly encourage her to raise them with us because we would like to investigate this matter and, if appropriate, we would apologise and take steps to minimise a recurrence."