Family of kidney death patients push for recommended changes

Argiris Asderakis, the consultant transplant surgeon who was responsible for the kidney operations, has apologised for what happened.

The widow of Robert Stuart, who died after receiving a kidney transplant infected with parasitic worms, has spoken of his family's grief and urged patients waiting for organs to ask for more information.

The father of transplant patient Darren Hughes, who died after being given kidneys infected with parasitic worms, says "no words can describe" the family's loss.

The lawyer representing the families of two transplant patients who died after being given kidneys infected with parasitic worms says today's narrative verdict "isn't the end of matters".

Coroner Christopher Woolley today ruled that doctors were not to blame for the deaths of Robert Stuart, 67, from Cardiff, and Darren Hughes, 42, from Bridgend.

Following the conclusion of the inquest, solicitor Julie Lewis told journalists that she had been instructed by the families to explore potential civil negligence claims.

Ms Lewis added: "The families particularly are disappointed at the fact that he found in the doctor's favour in relation to the consent issue, bearing in mind that we thought we'd given very clear evidence of what happened on the day... understandably ,the families feel like they weren't believed when they were giving their very truthful accounts of what happened on the day."

But she expressed gratitude to the coroner for a "thorough" inquiry and said both families were keen that people should not be put off transplantation, with theirs being an "incredibly rare" experience.

She also called for patients to be more involved in decision-making about their medical treatment.

More: Coroner rules decision to use infected kidneys was correct

The Coroner has ruled that Darren Hughes died as a result of his necessary medical treatment.

The Coroner has ruled that Robert Stuart died as a result of his necessary medical treatment.

The coroner has reached a narrative verdict in the inquest of two men who died after receiving kidney transplants.

He says that both Robert Stuart and Darren Hughes died from the unintended consequences of necessary medical intervention.

He also said there were no gross failures of neglect in the decision to go ahead with the transplant.

Robert Stuart, 67, from Cardiff and Darren Hughes, 42, of Bridgend both died from a parasite known as halicephalobus, which lives in soil and is often found in horses.

The coroner taking the inquest into the deaths of two men who died after infected kidney transplants at the University of Wales last December has retired to consider his verdict.

He told the families of the two men in court this morning that he will be reaching a narrative conclusion, but he wants to reflect on all the evidence before beginning his summing up.

Darren Hughes, who was 47 and from Bridgend,and Robert Stuart who was 67 and from Cardiff, both died from meningitis which had come from their kidney donor. The illness was caused by a rare parasitic worm, more commonly found in horses.

The two Welshmen were the first human-to-human recorded cases of the parasite in medical history.

The inquest into the deaths of two men who both died after having a kidney transplant from the same donor whose organs were allegedly infected with a parasitic worm, will finish today.

Robert Stuart, 67, from Cardiff and Darren Hughes, 42, of Bridgend both died of an infection known as halicephalobus, which lives in soil and is often found in horses.

There have only been five reported cases in the world of people diagnosed with the infection.

The solicitors for the families of the two men say they are desperately seeking answers following the deaths.