Distraught Husband Looking For Answers At Wife’s Inquest

The heartbroken husband of a mum-of-two who died after complications during a routine operation to remove her gallbladder is hoping an inquest into her death provides him with answers as to why he’s been left without a wife after 48 years of marriage.

Patricia Franks, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, died on 9th February 2011 aged 67 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, following a routine procedure to remove her gallbladder at Good Hope Hospital two days earlier. The inquest takes place on 12-15 March at Birmingham Coroner’s Court.

The family were told she suffered complications during the surgery and her husband John, 69, and their two grown up children Lesley, 48, and Lynne, 45, hope to discover why this happened.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Franks, before the inquest, Medical Law and Patient Rights Expert Lindsay Gibb from Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, said: “Mr Franks understandably wants answers as to why his wife died. 

“He has concerns after being told of complications during his wife’s surgery and wants to know why these happened during an operation which he was led to believe would be straight forward.

“Though nothing can bring Patricia back, the family cannot begin to move on until it is clear exactly what happened during surgery and in Patricia’s after care and we hope the inquest will go some way towards obtaining the answers they need.”