Woman, 42, bled to death after routine back op in hospital where staff had warned bosses about 'grave risks to patients'

  • Andrea Green died hours after the operation at Barnsley District Hospital
  • Post-mortem report listed cause of death as internal bleeding
  • It later emerged she may not have needed the surgery after all
  • Staff had already warned about 'extreme pressure and stress' in department
By Anna Hodgekiss
PUBLISHED: 11:17 GMT, 22 February 2013 | UPDATED: 13:33 GMT, 22 February 2013


Andrea Green bled to death after a routine back operation she may not actually have needed
Andrea Green bled to death after a routine back operation she may not actually have needed
A fit and healthy woman bled to death after having routine surgery for a back pain.
Andrea Green, 42, died just 14 hours after the operation at Barnsley District General Hospital.
Her death came after staff in the hospital's orthopaedic department warned managers about grave risks to patients 'extreme pressure and stress' in the department.
An inquest was halted and Sheffield coroner Chris Dorries asked police to investigate following the emergence of the letter outlining staff concerns.
Ms Green had started suffering from back pain in August 2009. The pain was so bad that she was bedridden for two weeks despite being prescribed with painkillers by her GP on numerous occasions.

She was referred to the orthopaedic clinic at Barnsley Hospital but by the time her appointment came round, her pain had subsided.

The clinic diagnosed her as suffering from a prolapsed (herniated) disc. Unbeknown to Ms Green, this condition quite often resolves itself over time without the need for further treatment.
Despite this, the hospital listed her for surgery and she was advised that the pain could return if the operation was not carried out.
Because she did not want the pain to return, she agreed to the procedure, which took place in March 2010.
When her sister Janette Allatt visited her in hospital later that evening, she found her very pale and complaining of stomach pain.
Nurses discovered she had very low blood pressure and because she was in pain, administered medication to relieve it.
At 2am the following morning, Ms Green's father received a telephone call from the hospital informing them that she was seriously ill. To their horror, by the time her family arrived at the hospital, she had died.
Mrs Allatt, 56, said: 'I just remember being in total and absolute shock. I never expected anything like this to happen. We have so many questions about what happened to Andrea and believe if it wasn’t for the surgery, she would still be here today.'
A report from the post mortem examination listed the cause of death as retroperitoneal haemorrhage (internal bleeding).