A retired NHS worker who helped establish one of Norfolk's hospitals died following complications while having a tumour removed from her nose, an inquest has heard.

Marilyn Castle, of Hunstanton, died 10 days after suffering "catastrophic" bleeding in an operation to remove a tumour from inside her nose. She was 87.

An inquest into her death heard that during the procedure, her carotid artery had been perforated, causing her to lose 1800ml of blood.

Following the operation, at the James Paget University Hospital, she was moved into intensive care before eventually being transferred to Addenbrooke's in Cambridge, where she died on November 25, 2022.

The court heard Ms Castle regularly suffered from nose bleeds, with investigations at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital discovering her tumour. 

Eastern Daily Press: Carl Philpott who runs the smell and taste clinic at the Norwich Medical School at the UEA.Picture: ANTONY KELLYShe was transferred to the James Paget in Gorleston for the procedure, due to Prof Carl Philpott having access to specialist equipment the QEH did not.

Giving evidence to the court, Prof Philpott, who specialises in ear, throat and nose treatment, said he had never seen a patient lose that amount of blood during an operation.

She was taken to Addenbrooke's eight days after the procedure, but after she arrived it emerged she had suffered a stroke. She was also treated for a period at the Norfolk and Norwich.

Vicki Seabrook, a close friend of Ms Castle and her next-of-kin, told the court that throughout the ordeal she did not feel the hospitals had communicated how severe her condition was. 

She said: "I should have asked more questions from the outset and allowed myself to be misled.

"I should have known better and pressed for more answers - had I known she had lost two litres of blood I would have wanted to ask more questions."

Meanwhile, she added that Ms Castle had previously worked in a number of NHS roles before retiring, including as an A&E nurse, and had helped to commission the original build of the QEH in 1980.

The inquest continues.