 John Lee had undergone a double hernia operation at Derriford |
A man has died from a flesh-eating bug he developed following a routine operation at a Devon hospital. John Lee, who was 68 and from Plymouth, developed the infection after having a double hernia operation at the city's Derriford Hospital last month.
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust issued a statement confirming that Mr Lee had developed a flesh-eating infection called "endogenous necrotising fasciitis".
The hospital said the bug was caused by bacteria which was "very likely" to have originated from Mr Lee's own stomach.
Hospital bosses stressed that there is no risk of the infection spreading from one person to another and said the public should not be concerned.
A spokesman for the NHS Trust expressed their condolences to Mr Lee's family and said that the bug was a very rare and unfortunate complication of surgery.
The hospital has not received a formal complaint about Mr Lee's care at Derriford but his family are believed to be taking legal advice.
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