A man died from sepsis which developed after he was forced to wait five months for kidney stone surgery. David Curry, 77, should have undergone the operation within four weeks, according to NHS guidelines. But a lack of available operating theatres meant this target was missed.
An inquest into his death heard the long wait contributed to his death - as it meant a temporary stent was in much longer than planned, significantly increasing the risk of post-operation complications like sepsis. The case has prompted Norfolk's most senior coroner to issue a warning to the new health secretary that similar cases will follow if waiting times are not cut. Mr Curry, a retired carpenter, had first gone to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on April 7 last year when he was diagnosed with having a kidney stone.
He was fitted with a ureteric stent as an emergency procedure and referred for a ureteroscopy, a procedure which allows the stone to be removed. This timescale stated he should have been listed for the surgery within a maximum of four weeks. But five months later, Mr Curry, from Norwich, had still not been given a date for the operation and instead approached the city's private Spire Hospital, which carried out the surgery on September 20.
However, following the operation, Mr Curry developed sepsis and was transferred to the N&N where he died of multi-organ failure and urosepsis on October 1. Following the inquest, which was held last month, senior coroner Jacqueline Lake concluded th.