A SUFFOLK cancer patient died after major surgery at Ipswich Hospital an inquest heard.Margery Barfield was suffering from cancer of the tongue and jaw and had been undergoing complex surgery at Ipswich Hospital to try and treat it.

A SUFFOLK cancer patient died after major surgery at Ipswich Hospital an inquest heard.

Margery Barfield was suffering from cancer of the tongue and jaw and had been undergoing complex surgery at Ipswich Hospital to try and treat it.

She had been in a ten-hour operation led by Consultant Huw Davies and had been transferred straight to the high dependency unit afterwards.

But Dr Peter Dean, greater Suffolk coroner said that shortly after the operation on September 23, the 70-year-old began to have problems.

Consultant Dr Howard Griffin stated in a document read out at the inquest at Ipswich Crown Court that he was the consultant on duty in intensive care that weekend.

He said: "I received a phone call to say that the patient had returned from theatre and arrested.

"I went into the hospital immediately and the patient was being resuscitated but there was no cardiac output."

Hospital staff tried to resuscitate Mrs Barfield, from Thetford, for more than an hour but she could not be saved.

Air had been found in the space around her lung and one of the lungs had collapsed.

Dr Dean said: "There had been very extensive surgery and clearly the surgery took place to assist her but tragically complications set in."

He said that under the circumstances he would have to record a narrative verdict of death from complications following previous medical treatment.

He said: "Complications set in after this very complex but clearly necessary medical treatment had taken place."

Jan Rowsell, spokeswoman for the Ipswich Hospital Trust said: "Out thoughts and sympathies are with Mrs Barfield's family.

"It is very sad for everyone."