NHS Highland and a GP practice have been ordered to apologise to the family of a woman who died because doctors failed to diagnose her brain tumour.

The disabled woman first started complaining of headaches in December 2013 and was initially treated for a nasal ulcer.

When the headaches persisted after the operation, she went back to her GP.

Despite the headaches, frequent vomiting and unsteadiness on her feet - listed as red flag symptoms - she was repeatedly sent home.

On Wednesday, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman released a report saying there had been a series of failures of care, both from the GP practice and from Highland NHS.

It says: "The advice I have received indicates that the failings in care contributed to this tragic outcome."

A neurosurgeon consulted for the report said the tumour was operable and had it been diagnosed in July or August 2014 the woman would have had a 90% chance of survival.

The woman, known as Ms A, who lived with and was cared for by her parents, went to see her GP three times in July and August 2014 before she was referred to neurology.

Her mother also contacted NHS 24, concerned about the headaches and vomiting.

She was seen by out of hours nurse practitioners and GPs three times in one week before being admitted to Raigmore Hospital on August 12, 2014.

She was seen by a neurologist on August 15 but no CT scan was carried out and she was discharged on August 18.

After three more GP visits, an MRI scan was scheduled for September 8, but the patient died at home on September 2.

Her GP surgery has been criticised for the care it gave from July 30, 2014, with the report saying they should have referred her to hospital sooner.

The neurologist who saw her at Raigmore has been criticised for not reviewing a previous CT scan or carrying out a new one.

The report said: "Adviser 3 shared Ms A's parents concern that the failure to review the original CT of the sinuses, and/or perform dedicated brain imaging led to a failure to detect a condition that caused Ms A's death.

"I have outlined the advice from Adviser 5 [neurologist], who considered that, had the seriousness of Ms A's symptoms been recognised, and her tumour detected earlier, she could have been given surgery, with a very good chance of success.

"In making this decision, I would like to acknowledge the experience of Ms A's family, and how difficult it must have been for them to pursue their complaint at such a time. I hope that my report will provide the explanation the family was seeking and help to answer their questions."

A spokeswoman from NHS Highland said: "We are truly sorry for the standards in the care and treatment provided to this patient and will be writing to the family offering our sincere apologies.

"We accept the findings of the report and it has been shared with staff and senior managers. We will also be conducting a significant adverse event review which will be chaired by a senior doctor.

"This will involve analysing the clinical care and treatment provided in order to learn and implement improvements in our practice. The family will also be kept up to date on this process."