The Canterbury District Health Board is being told to up its game over the way it has communicated with the family of a man who died in its care.

Soldier Clinton Botha died after what his family had been told was a routine operation, to fix a medical condition which caused him to suffer severe headaches.

The 21-year-old's family is unhappy neither they nor their son were told of the full risks of the procedure.

Labour health spokeswoman Ruth Dyson says the family has been through a terrible ordeal. She is criticising the DHB for emailing the family, rather than meeting them face to face.