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Coroner rules on case of former editor who died following hospital operation

1516501410842A former daily newspaper editor who passed away in hospital three days after undergoing surgery died from a stomach infection, a coroner has ruled.

Dave Murray, who edited the then Reading Evening Post before leaving to set up a business magazine in 1993, died at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in March this year, aged 67.

An inquest heard last week that Dave had been hospitalised with pneumonia when he was operated on to have a radiologically inserted gastronomy (RIG) tube fitted to help him receive nutrition.

Dave, pictured, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2019, came through the procedure but began vomiting and feeling unwell just 30 hours later.

It was discovered that he had a mixture of blood and gastric content in his abdominal area and, following scans, he was told he would not survive and died three days later.

It later emerged that the tip of the tube that had been inserted had become detached and was found free-floating in Dave’s stomach.

Dr Farhan Ahmed, a consultant radiologist, oversaw the operation which took place on 18 March 2021.

Speaking at the inquest, Dr Ahmed said his patient was in a “fit condition” before the procedure and that there were “no concerns” about Dave’s ability to go through the operation despite his respiratory issues.

Dr Ahmed, who said he had performed more than 200 of this type of operations with a partner, was questioned by both coroner Alan Blake and Dave’s wife, Abbie.

He said the RIG was placed in the correct position and a CT scan on 20 March – two days after the operation – proved this.

Asked why the tip of the rig became detached and the balloon had collapsed, Dr Ahmed said: “I don’t know. This is the first instance I’ve seen of a RIG falling apart. I have never seen that before.

“I have never come across a broken rig, it is just so unusual. I have got no good explanation. It just doesn’t really make sense to me.”

Considering the evidence, Mr Blake found there were no complications during or after Dave’s procedure.

On the balance of probabilities, he found the RIG was correctly inserted – as proved by the CT scan which showed the device in the correct position.

He added: “However, there was a deterioration in his condition on March 19/20 caused by peritonitis arising from blood and gastric content in the abdominal cavity.”

He ruled Dave died from peritonitis – an infection of the stomach lining – developed as a result of a “necessary” RIG procedure.

Dave’s partner, Abbie Enock, who he met four decades ago working for the Evening Post, paid tribute to her husband in a speech at the inquest.

She said: “We were soulmates. We had a great love and with that comes great grief and loss.

“Being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease was a great shock but we battled through it as a team. It was a weird time for us, and it coincided with lockdown, and in some ways that was wonderful as we spent a lot of time together.

“He loved seeing friends and seeing people. He was really loved and respected by everyone he met.”