Film maker's widow wins £2m for fatal blunders by three GPs

The widow of one of Britain's leading documentary makers has won damages in the High Court from three London doctors who failed to spot and treat his heart disease.

Nick Rossiter was 43 when he died of a heart attack, leaving behind his wife Bea Ballard and their two children Pandora, nine, and 11-year-old Alice.

Ms Ballard, 49, the daughter of novelist JG Ballard, was awarded undisclosed damages - estimated by legal sources at around £2million.

Her husband was one of the leading arts documentary makers of his generation and had directed Prince Charles in an architecture programme, A Vision Of Britain, as well as introducing one of Britain's most idiosyncratic presenters, Sister Wendy Beckett, to the screen.

The High Court heard today that Mr Rossiter died in July 2004, two months after his last visit to a GP practice at the Westbourne Grove Surgery.

His widow, a former BBC executive and producer of Michael Parkinson's chat show, sued three GPs at the practice for failing to spot his condition.

The doctors - Dr Pearl Chin, Dr Cathy Benson, and Dr Sharon Alikhani - admitted failing to identify his hypertensive condition and failing to prescribe appropriate medication from April 2002 onwards, Ms Ballard's barrister Henry Whitcomb told the High Court.

On his last visit to the surgery Mr Rossiter left without receiving a vital blood pressure test.

The GPs admitted breach of duty, said Mr Whitcomb, but argued there was a possibility Mr Rossiter would not have completed his course of medication even if he had been prescribed it.

Mr Whitcomb argued this defence held little weight given that Mr Rossiter was a highly intelligent man who had previously given up smoking and was "absolutely devoted to his family". He added: 'There was no question that his death would have been avoided had he received the right medication from December 2003 onwards at the latest."

After a brief hearing, Mr Justice Foskett approved a payout to the widow and children.

The judge said the loss of Mr Rossiter's life was "almost impossible to value" as he was on the threshold of a new career, having quit the BBC to make his own programmes.

The judge wished Ms Ballard well, saying he hoped that a "line can now be drawn".

Speaking from her home in Notting Hill today, she said: "I have lost my beloved husband and my children have lost their adored father because of gross medical negligence.

"A simple medical procedure, the taking of blood pressure, was not performed and has resulted in a death. I hope that this case highlights to the NHS the importance of carrying out simple, basic medical procedures on patients, and that other lives might be saved as a result. No amount of money can replace my children's father but it will help in securing their future."

The family's solicitor, John Pickering, said: "Doctors Chin, Benson and Alikhani failed to establish and enforce a system of monitoring Nicholas's blood pressure, and did not treat him with anti-hypertensive medication as they should have done from April 2002. His family are relieved that this matter is now closed."