Hospital staff were not to blame for failing to diagnose ovarian cancer in a multiple sclerosis sufferer who died in November, an inquiry has found.

In a report, Brighton Health Care NHS Trust says 51-year-old Rosemary Walker did not show obvious signs of the disease during her four-month stay at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Miss Walker's brother, Martin, had claimed his sister developed classic symptoms during her stay in hospital but these had not been investigated.

Miss Walker, a travel agent of Preston Park Avenue, Brighton, died in Chaseley Trust nursing home, Eastbourne, six months after she was admitted to the Royal Sussex for treatment for bed sores.

Stuart Welling, Brighton Healthcare's chief executive, has now written to Mr Walker stating it was "extremely regrettable" his sister's cancer was not diagnosed at the Royal Sussex.

He wrote: "With the benefit of hindsight it is quite possible that your sister's symptoms of vomiting and abdominal distension could have been caused by her ovarian cancer.

"However, they were equally explainable on the basis of her known, pre-existing conditions."

Paul Hurst, a consultant surgeon who was responsible for Miss Walker's care, said he believed Miss Walker had lost weight because she was having difficulty feeding herself, swallowing and eating.

Mr Walker said: "This is a fairly robust defence and I am satisfied. I am pleased to have a fairly detailed report about Rosemary's condition and I will not be taking the matter any further.

"But it does seem to reflect understaffing of hospitals which can mean that MS patients do not receive all the care that they need.

"I am pleased a new MS charity has been launched to campaign for a dedicated nurse for each sufferer. Looking at the report it does seem that she was in a poor condition and they did quite a lot for her."