An elderly Brentwood woman tragically died on a hospital operating table while doctors fought to save her life, an inquest heard last week.

After complaining of bowel pains, Margaret Adamthwaite, 78, a retired midwife, of Hammonds Lane, was rushed to Oldchurch Hospital, Romford, with cancer of the right bowel in November.

An operation to remove it appeared successful, but while recovering in hospital, her blood pressure dropped and she began to suffer from multiple organ failure through a lack of blood.

Despite efforts to stabilise her, she was rushed back into the operating room for a second attempt to save her life, just two days after the first operation.

Tragically while being anaesthetized, she went into cardiac arrest and her heart stopped. Doctors fought for 20 minutes to revive her but were unsuccessful.

Dr Peter Walker, a consultant in intensive care at Oldchurch told the inquest at Walthamstow Coroners Court: "Her blood was not clotting as it should have done, around the wound in her bowel, where the operation had been.

"As a result her blood pressure dropped and she started suffering multiple organ failure. She had fluid in her lungs and her heart and kidneys were starting to fail her.

"Doctors tried to stabilise her condition but when this was unsuccessful she was taken to the operation theatre, but sadly she passed away before the operation began."

Coroner Geoffrey Tompkins said: "Despite the best efforts of doctors to remove the cancer and save her life, nature intervened."

He recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.

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