Inquest into dad's hospital death

A father of two died in hospital after being put on trial medication following a heart attack, an inquest heard.

The family of Tim Hancock, 48, are hoping for answers following his death in November 2016 at Leeds General Infirmary.

Wakefield Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Hancock, a kitchen fitter, had been having tests for unexplained health problems for around a year before his death.

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He was taken into hospital following a heart attack and had a stent fitted. The court heard he was then put on the blood-thinning drug Alteplase.

Mr Hancock, of Sharlston, then suffered a brain haemorrhage and died following a second bleed on the brain.

Yesterday the inquest, which is expected to last for four days, heard that the reasons for him being put on the drug were among questions his family want answered.

Mr Hancock’s wife Karen, 47, told the hearing: “In my personal opinion, if somebody has just had a heart attack you don’t approach them to be part of a drugs trial.”

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Mrs Hancock described 
being called to the hospital 
and told her husband had 
died.

She said: “They just said they had done everything they could. He’d had a massive brain bleed.”

The inquest heard that it was found that Mr Hancock had endocarditis, a rare and potentially-fatal inflammation of the lining of the heart.

The condition, which is usually treatable, could have been detected if blood cultures had been taken.

The inquest continues.