A patient watchdog says medical staff missed opportunities to save a man with cancer, who has since died

The man in his fifties presented to an Emergency Department seven times with severe abdominal pain.

The Health and Disability Commissioner says Southern DHB staff missed chances to further investigate the man's symptoms - and reconsider his diagnosis.

He was repeatedly diagnosed with constipation because of anti-psychotic medication.

Only when he underwent exploratory surgery was it found he had widespread colon cancer, and he died of septic shock.