Calls to boycott holiday island

Christopher Rochester died in hospital in Rhodes

The MP supporting the family of a County Durham man who died in a Rhodes hospital is calling for tourists to boycott the Greek island.

Christopher Rochester, 24, from Chester-le-Street, died in hospital after falling from a balcony in 2000.

Three doctors were subsequently convicted of manslaughter by neglect, but this was quashed in an appeal hearing on Wednesday.

Durham North MP Kevan Jones said he hoped holidaymakers would stay away.

Evidence at the doctors' original trial in 2003 told how Mr Rochester was "bounced about" on a stretcher and left lying on a hospital trolley despite being in severe pain.

Tourists can be absolutely confident that they can expect a high standard of medical care should they be taken ill or have any kind of accident while on holiday here Rhodes Tourism

A Greek court agreed that the doctors - Stergios Pavlidis, Georgos Karavolias and Mihalis Sokorelos - failed to act properly to save his life.

They were sentenced to three years in prison, but this was suspended pending an appeal, and then the conviction was quashed.

Kevan Jones, who was with Mr Rochester's family for the hearing in Rhodes, said: " I would say to people to stay away from Rhodes because if you have an accident there you will certainly not get the treatment you deserve.

"These three doctors that were convicted will be practising on the island, possibly treating holidaymakers from this country."

Return of body

He promised to raise the matter in the House of Commons, alongside a separate issue surrounding the return of Mr Rochester's body.

This was found to be missing a kidney, and tests showed that the kidney subsequently sent out did not to belong to him. This is now the subject of an investigation.

A spokesman for Rhodes Tourism said: "Tourists can be absolutely confident that they can expect a high standard of medical care should they be taken ill or have any kind of accident while on holiday here.

"Everyone in the tourist industry greatly regrets this incident but it should be remembered that it happened five years ago and since then new management has taken over the running of the hospital and reviewed procedures.

"We are confident that our medical services are equivalent to those of any major European city."