Inquest concludes into death of Street woman at Musgrove Park Hospital

An inquest into the death of a Street woman at Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton, concluded today (July 1).

Margaret Minear, of Houndwood Drove in Street, was 70 years old when she passed away at the hospital on March 15.

Her death was subject to an inquest due to concerns over whether she died of natural causes, or whether it was related to previous abdominal surgery.

The inquest heard that Mrs Minear had suffered from an abdominal hernia and had undergone an operation a year previously.

This had generally relieved the pain of the hernia, but she was admitted to Musgrove Park Hospital on March 12 with abdominal pains.

It was decided that any future surgery would have been a high risk so, according to consultant surgeon Emma Noble, it was decided that conservative management was now needed for Mrs Minear's condition.

Mrs Minear had been recovering well in hospital, but on March 15 she has a sudden downturn in her health and she passed away that day.

Mrs Noble reported that Mrs Minear's death had been caused by an upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage, as a result of a large incisional, irreducible abdominal hernia and hypertension.

Senior Somerset coroner Tony Williams concluded the inquest by recording that, due to the expert evidence provided, he was satisfied that Mrs Minear died of natural causes.