AGONY aunt, writer and broadcaster Claire Rayner has died at the age of 79.

The patients' rights campaigner, who died in a hospital close to her Harrow home, knew her death was imminent over the weekend and told relatives she wanted her last words to be: "Tell David Cameron that if he screws up my beloved NHS I'll come back and bloody haunt him."

Rayner never recovered from emergency intestinal surgery she had in May this year.

Des Rayner, her husband of 53 years, said: "I have lost my best friend and my soulmate. I am immensely proud of her."

The agony aunt, who is also survived by children Amanda, Adam and Jay and four grandchildren, started her career in the National Health Service working as a nurse.

Her husband, who was also her agent and manager, paid tribute to her, saying: "Through her work she helped hundreds of thousands of people and doubtless, by talking frankly about the importance of safe sex in the Eighties when almost nobody else would discuss it, helped to save thousands of lives.

"Right up until her death, she was being consulted by politicians and medical professionals about the best way to provide the health services the nation deserved and nothing mattered to her more than that. Her death leaves a vacancy which will not be filled."

Rayner had also served as president of the Patients Association.

Katherine Murphy, the association's chief executive, said: "I would like to join with everyone involved in the Patients Association in expressing my deep sadness at the death of our much loved president, Claire Rayner.

"For almost 30 years, Claire has devoted so much of her time and energy to championing patients' issues. She was a figurehead and inspiration to us all."