AN 80-year-old is DJing and dancing once again after hospital bosses finally admitted they had failed to spot problems with his pacemaker.

Ken Clark had the pacemaker fitted in December 2008, but three years later his health was deteriorating and he kept feeling dizzy. 

Meetings with the hospital trust failed to respolve the problems, so daughter, Elaine Clark, sought a second opinion at Basildon Hospital. Medics there made a slight change to the pacemaker and restored Mr Clark to better health, so much so he can DJ and dance five times a week.

Colchester General Hospital hospital trust finally apologised in July and agreed to pay £750 compensation for the impact on his quality of life.

Elaine, 50, said: “Getting a second opinion from Basildon has given him a new lease of life.”

Mr Clark’s complaint was published in anonymous form by the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman in a report detailing cases between April and June.

Another investigation into a complaint at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust has been published.

Mrs K was concerned about the treatment her mother received after being admitted to A&E.

She said the trust could have done more to make her mother’s death less traumatic for her and her family, and had given her the wrong information about the pain relief staff had administered.

The hospital trust apologised and prepared an action plan to address its communication failings.