Shoebury mum Kirsty died as 'Southend Hospital failed to find diagnosed heart problem'

Kirsty Davies, 29 and of Shoebury, died after a heart blockage that her husband claims Southend Hospital failed to find and treat quickly enough.

Tragedy - Kirsty Davies

Mrs Davies underwent two operations to have mechanical heart valves fitted, one when she was two, and another when she was 16.

She was under the care of the Royal Brompton Hospital in London due to the condition and went for regular checks each year. 

Her husband, Matthew Davies, says that when she went to Southend Hospital in January with tightness in her chest and a shortness of breath, she was checked over and sent home. 

She was taken back to the hospital in March via ambulance with similar symptoms where she was checked over and discharged again, this time with antibiotics. 

But within hours, she was struggling to eat and walk, had a metal taste in her mouth and her urine smelt bad.

Mr Davies, who is 28 and a security guard, said: “We called 999 again for an ambulance on the night of Tuesday, March 22 and her dad took her to A&E.

"She got there just before midnight and had to wait about 16 hours in A&E to be seen properly.

"She went to one ward and was later put on a heart ward - the acute medical unit.”

Loving - Kirsty Davies with daughter Bella Davies and son Loki Davies

The following morning, Mr Davies called the hospital and was told his wife's condition had deteriorated and she needed to be put into a coma.

The couple had their last conversation via Facebook messenger.

Mr Davies said: “Her last words were ‘I love you all I don’t think I can cope.’

"I got a call at about 8am to go in and speak with them and the doctor told me he believed it was her heart, they couldn’t transfer her to Basildon as she was not stable enough and there wasn’t much they could do for her."

Family - Kirsty Davies with her mum Sarah waters and her two children

Mrs Davies later went into cardiac arrest and died soon after.

Her husband believes her life could have been saved if hospital staff had acted quicker and found the cause of her deteriorating health.

In response to the claims Roslyn Blackboro, director of nursing at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Kirsty’s family.

“It is important that we thoroughly look into the circumstances surrounding Kirsty’s death, and that includes gathering all of the information and speaking to those involved. We will be speaking to her family and will keep them fully updated.”