Staple gun caused surgery delay

Mr Walsh died three weeks after surgery in Cheltenham

A cancer patient died three months after being left lying on an operating table while surgeons waited for vital equipment.

John Walsh, of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, died following cancer surgery at Cheltenham General Hospital in November 2001.

An inquest in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, heard how Mr Walsh waited under anaesthetic for two hours while a specialised staple gun was brought from Bristol - a journey of 40 miles.

A tube was being inserted into the 58-year-old's small intestine to join the end of the stomach to the oesophagus.

But the hospital did not have the right-sized staple gun in stock.

The hearing heard the delay meant the operation was two-and-a-half hours long, instead of 30 minutes.

Coroner Lester Meddrell adjourned the inquest to consider the findings, and will deliver a verdict on Wednesday.