Legal action after Royal Shrewsbury Hospital death

A Shropshire family is taking legal action following the death of a father-of-two who died just weeks after having surgery at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Dennis Edwards, 73, of Lythwood Road, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury, died on September 21, 2010, from an infection after his oesophagus was ruptured in the operation to remove gallstones.

An inquest took place yesterday at The Coroners' Court in Birmingham.

Mr Edwards' family is now pursuing legal action against The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

Miss Sarah Ormond-Walshe, deputy coroner for Birmingham, said Mr Edwards died of a complication from a hospital procedure.

She ruled that he died from multi-organ failure from inflammation of tissues in the mid-chest caused by a perforated oesophagus from surgery.

Mr Edwards' daughter, Julie Fletcher, said: "He suffered for a really long time and it was very upsetting knowing there was nothing we could do other than watch his life ebb away."

Dr Ashley Fraser, medical director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: "Following the procedure we undertook all of the testing recommended by the national guidelines, but unfortunately this did not detect the problem.

"This is a recognised risk of ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) and is fully discussed before patients are asked to give their consent to this procedure."

Dr Fraser said additional monitoring procedures "that go over and above the national guidelines" have since been introduced at the hospital.