A widower fears he may never find out the truth about how his wife was given a fatal magnesium overdose at St Helier Hospital.
Stephen Ryan, 82, has just been awarded a five-figure compensation package after the death of his wife Joyce, 79, in January 2007.
Hospital officials admitted a series of “human errors” led to the kidney patient being given four times as much magnesium sulphate as prescribed.
But questions still remain unanswered about the exact circumstances, with the doctor who calculated the dosage having since left the NHS trust.
This week Mr Ryan, a retired haulage driver from Beddington, said: “I am not interested in the money because there is no amount of money in the world that is going to bring my wife back.
“There are still nagging doubts in my mind and questions that the trust has not answered. A hospital is only as good as its staff and that is what lets it down.”
His daughter, Carol Wells, added: “Sorry is an easy word to say, but it doesn’t mean anything.
“If the medical staff are not accountable when they have failed to follow basic checking procedures, who is?
"How many more families will suffer while we wait for procedures to be changed after a tragedy.”
In a letter to the family Peter Coles, interim chief executive of Epsom and St Helier NHS trust, expressed apologies on behalf of staff responsible for treating Mrs Ryan.
A trust spokesman added: “We offer our sincerest apologies to the family and friends of Joyce Ryan.
“This was a tragic accident. We have learned lessons from it and will do everything possible to make sure it never happens again.”
Mrs Ryan, who died 15 minutes after the magnesium infusion, was admitted to the hospital in December 2006 suffering kidney problems.
Days before her death staff told her husband that she had returned to good health and would soon be discharged.
During the inquest it emerged that two nurses had misread a magnesium dosage on Mrs Ryan’s drug chart as 10mg instead of 10mmol/L.
The figure had been amended on the chart but no explanation was given to the coroner.
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