Operation delay results in £40k payout for widow

A widow whose late husband died partly as a result of an operation delay has been awarded compensation of £40,000, it has been revealed.

In September 2005, John Hodges was diagnosed with an aneurysm in his abdomen and was told he would have surgery to repair the damage within two months, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Aneurysms are balloon-like swellings of an artery and are caused by damage to or weakness in a blood vessel.

Mr Hodge's appointment was not scheduled until the end of January, which was four months after his diagnosis.

Prior to his appointment, he became sick and was taken to hospital, where medics made an appointment for an operation on January 2nd when a surgeon returned from his holiday.

However, prior to this, his aneurysm ruptured and he died during emergency surgery.

A spokeswoman for Wythenshawe Hospital said: "We have expressed our sincere apologies to the family of Mr Hodges as the care provided in 2005 fell below the standard he was entitled to expect."

06/10/2008 16:38