A man from Burnley passed away after enduring severe brain damage from a surgical mishap as an infant over 40 years ago, an inquest revealed. Martin Stuart Hoyle, originally from Blackburn, underwent surgery at Manchester Children’s Hospital in Pendlebury on November 26, 1982, resulting in cardiac arrest and catastrophic brain damage. He succumbed to the effects of sepsis, with perforated appendicitis and craniosynostosis contributing to his demise at the age of 43 at Royal Blackburn Hospital in August last year.
The inquest, held at Blackburn Town Hall on February 11, concluded that Martin’s death was due to an infection, as confirmed by Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor. The closure of Manchester Children’s Hospital in Pendlebury in 2009 led to services being relocated to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital on Oxford Road, with the original site undergoing redevelopment.