A HOSPITAL "mishap" during an operation led to a student's death, an inquest was told.

Lindsey Hudspeth, from Leeholme, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, died a month after a gall bladder procedure at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

The inquest heard that the 21-year-old died after clips, which should have prevented bile leaking into her abdomen, slipped.

"This mishap constitutes the underlying cause of death in this case," pathologist Dr Jim Sunter told the inquest in Darlington.

The operation was carried out on February 10, but by the time Ms Hudspeth was re-admitted, on March 9, there were six litres of bile in her abdomen.

She underwent an emergency operation, but died the same day.

The inquest heard that after the operation, Miss Hudspeth suffered a variety of symptoms that could be attributed to the leak.

She saw her GP several times but was only re-admitted to hospital when she became very ill.

Surgeon Keith Gunning, who carried out the first operation, said the complication was uncommon and that the chance of the clips slipping was one in 450.

Miss Hudspeth was studying medical anthropology at Durham University.

Her father, Mike, asked Mr Gunning if the GP should have recognised the problem.

But Durham Coroner Andrew Tweddle would not allow him to answer.

He said: "The scope of this inquest is to find out what happened, it is not to do with matters of blame or negligence."

But Mr Gunning agreed she would have had a better chance of survival if, on the second occasion, she been sent to hospital earlier.

Mr Tweddle recorded that Ms Hudspeth had died as a result of necessary medical intervention.

Last night, a spokesman for the County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospital Trust, said: "An investigation is always carried out to make sure that any lessons are learnt."

Helen Suddes, of Durham Dales Primary Care Trust (PCT), said: "The results of this investigation will be shared with the family and, where there are lessons to learn, the PCT will implement any action necessary."