A wife whose husband died of prostate cancer has persuaded the department of health to investigate his NHS care funding - which she claims was "a complete mess."

Maureen Ibbotson's husband Barrie, 73, died of cancer on October 8. She had been looking after him since January but went through "a funding minefield" while paying for his care in a nursing home.

Barrie, 73, was looked after at Weston Park hospital, Sheffield, Conifers nursing home in Wombwell and Barnsley Hospital. He died in the nursing home.

In September, Mrs Ibbotson, 69, made a formal complaint about the system of funding to Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), saying that her husband's care package for the nursing home was too complicated to understand, especially at a time of distress.

She said it was unclear what she was expected to pay for and what would be paid by the NHS.

Mrs Ibbotson, of West Street, Hoyland, was not satisfied and sent two letters to Prime Minister David Cameron and the department of health, claiming that cash concerns appeared to matter more than care of patients in the NHS.

Five days before her husband died, she received a reply from the department of health. It said: "Your letter raises serious concerns about the treatment that your husband has received, and the secretary of state for health, Jeremy Hunt, would like to reply to your letter personally."

It went on to say the department would be copying her letter to her MP Michael Dugher and sharing it "with regulators and the local NHS."