Claire Rayner Dies At 79

Agony aunt and NHS campaigner Claire Rayner, has died aged 79.

The OBE recipient told relatives she wanted her last words to be: "Tell David Cameron that if he screws up my beloved NHS I'll come back and bloody haunt him."

She died in hospital near her home in Harrow, north-west London.

In May she underwent intestinal surgery but had remained unwell.

The mother of three will have a humanist funeral for close family and friends.

Mrs Rayner was a former nurse and midwife, and was also President of the Patients Association for many years.

Almost ten years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but managed to beat the illness.

Des Rayner, her husband of 53 years, who was also her agent and manager commented: "I have lost my best friend and my soulmate. I am immensely proud of her.

"Through her work she helped hundreds of thousands of people and doubtless, by talking frankly about the importance of safe sex in the 80s when almost nobody else would discuss it, helped to save thousands of lives.

"Right up until her death she was being consulted by both politicians and the medical profession about the best way to provide the health services the nation deserved and nothing mattered to her more than that. Her death leaves a vacancy which will not be filled."

Claire was named medical journalist of the year in 1987. She also wrote a string of novels.

In 1996 she was awarded the OBE for "services to women's issues and health issues".

During her life she was involved with 50 charities, and was a member of the Prime Minister's Commission on Nursing and the last government's Royal Commission on the Care of the Elderly.

(BMcN)