The family of a pregnant mother who died when hospital staff mistook a medical emergency for a stomach bug have been given a six-figure compensation sum by the NHS.

Rebecca Ben-Nejma, 28, went to A&E at Maidstone Hospital with pains in her abdomen just days into her pregnancy.

She had suffered an ectopic pregnancy, a potentially fatal condition where the embryo implants outside the womb.

But instead of having an urgent scan to diagnose the problem, she was given painkillers for suspected gastro-enteritis and sent home.

Vomiting and extremely distressed when she returned the next day, the mother-of-two was told to come back on Monday.

But two days later, Rebecca, of Wheeler Street, collapsed in the arms of her 13-year-old daughter Charlotte and suffered a heart attack. She had a second cardiac arrest while having an emergency operation.

Rebecca was kept on a life support machine before the agonising decision was made to turn it off on December 20, 2010.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has now admitted she was misdiagnosed and awarded her family a six-figure sum in compensation.

Dr Paul Sigston, medical director at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, has apologised to the family for their failings over Rebecca's death.

He said: "The trust sincerely and unreservedly apologises for the failings that contributed to the death of Mrs Ben-Nejma.

"In order to ensure that such failings do not happen again the trust has introduced a range of measures including strengthening the emergency gynaecology service, which is now centralised at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, and as a result of which patients now have better access to senior staff, diagnostic equipment and treatment of emergency situations."

Scanning equipment and senior medical staff in women and children's services were now available 24 hours a day including at weekends – at Pembury hospital.

However, the same level of service does not exist at Maidstone Hospital.

Rebecca was married to Walid and had two children, Charlotte and Bailey. Her family donated her organs, helping three other people.

Her mother Marion Mitchell, from Rochester, said: "None of it is going to bring Rebecca back."