Heart patient died after operation to remove wire

A 69-year-old woman died at the Conquest Hospital from a rare heart condition after she was taken to A&E because she fainted.

Mary Knight, of Hastings Road, had a temporary pacemaker fitted following a diagnosis that her heart was failing - but when it was removed she went into cardiac arrest.

An inquest into her death held at Hastings Magistrates’ Court heard how consultant Eric McWilliams and other senior staff worked to save her life following the discovery that she had sick sinus syndrome, which meant her heart rate was slowing down, and even stopping for seconds at a time because of irregular electrical impulse.