Coroner reserves inquest findings

The surgery was carried out at the Royal Victoria Hospital

A coroner has reserved his findings at an inquest on a County Antrim nurse who died following a delay in an operation.

Janine Murtagh, 31, of Laurelvale, Crumlin, had to wait six hours for surgery to repair a perforated bowel because an operating theatre was in use.

Mrs Murtagh's surgery was carried out at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

It is likely to be at least one week before Belfast coroner John Leckey delivers his findings.

Mr Leckey said it had been a lengthy and complex hearing.

'Breathing difficulties'

The inquest was previously told that Mrs Murtagh was admitted to the Royal in October 2002 for a routine operation to cure abdominal pain and in an attempt to establish the cause of fertility problems.

During keyhole surgery her small bowel was ruptured.

The damage was not noticed and, over the next 24 hours, caused an infection which led to her death.

When doctors decided to operate the day after the initial procedure to find why her condition was not improving, there was a six-hour delay while a post-operative bed was found and her transfer from the Royal Maternity to the main hospital was organised.

The inquest heard that Mrs Murtagh died in intensive care of breathing difficulties.

She had suffered post-operative complications, six weeks after the surgery.