Natasha, Sudesh, Ricky and Surinder Sethi

A woman who went blind while out shopping with her husband says she was told by hospital staff it was caused by her diet, when she had in fact suffered a stroke.

Sudesh Sethi, 63, was taken to King George Hospital, Barley Lane, Goodmayes, where she waited four hours to see a nurse.

She was then sent home where she suffered a number of fits during the night.

The next morning her daughter, Natasha, took her to Queen’s Hospital, Romford, where Mrs Sethi was correctly diagnosed and immediately admitted.

King George bosses were unable to respond to a complaint by the family after admitting the medical notes detailing her visit in May had been lost.

Natasha, of Heathfield Park Drive, Goodmayes, said: “Mum was really scared, she didn’t know what was happening, it hasn’t happened to anyone in our family before. She was crying a lot.

“I was completely shocked. If she had been admitted initially maybe things could have been different, it might have stopped her fits.”

She added: “The staff at Queen’s were brilliant and were staggered by the treatment she received at King George.”

Sudesh has since been discharged from the stroke unit at Queen’s but still sees doctors once a month. Her daughter plans to pursue legal action over the incident.

Natasha added: “I complained to the doctor and he said they had lost her medical papers and he was sorry. It’s just appalling the way she’s been treated. She went in with a complete loss of vision and they didn’t do anything.”

King George Hospital medical director, Mike Gill, said: “I have spoken to Mrs Sethi’s family and sincerely apologised for the fact that we have been unable to locate the notes covering her visit.

“We are continuing to look for this information which will allow us to respond fully to her complaint but recognise that, without it, we cannot assure the family that our care and assessment was of the high standards we aspire to.”