AN elderly man who was sent home from hospital with a catheter in his arm later died as a result of a blood infection, an inquest heard this week.

Victor Pinkstone, of Coombe Road, Bushey, died at Watford General Hospital in January from endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, which could have been caused by the mistake by hospital staff.

Mr Pinkstone, 80, was initially taken to Watford General on the morning of December 5, when he had a "mini stroke" in the night.

He was kept in hospital overnight and sent home the next day. However, his wife then noticed he still had a catheter in his right arm.

She then took her husband to his doctor who sent him to hospital to have it removed.

Two days later Mr Pinkstone came down with a severe fever and diarrhoea and was admitted back to hospital. He died on January 14.

A post-mortem found Mr Pinkstone's heart had swelled to double its normal size and concluded he died of a heart failure caused by a blood infection.

The inquest heard the infection proved to be fatal because Mr Pinkstone had valve replacements inserted in his heart in 2003, making him more vulnerable to infection.

In recording a narrative verdict, Hertfordshire's coroner Edward Thomas, said it was hard to tell if the infection which led to Mr Pinkstone's death was caused by the hospital failing to take the tube out of his arm.

However, he added: "It could well have been possible, even if the catheter had been taken out, that he would have still got an infection and somebody with valve replacements is more vulnerable."