A man died of a lethal infection after doctors failed to give him antibiotics for 14 hours an inquest has heard.

Health bosses admitted mistakes were made at an inquest at Croydon Coroners Court on Thursday November 24 after Russell Bishop,38, died in their care five days after being involved in a minor car accident.

His infection was from group A Streptococcus, a rare and extremely aggressive bacteria.

Dr Abulafi, surgical consultant at Croydon University Hospital, admitted his doctors should have administered antibiotics earlier.

He said: “It is something they should have thought of at an earlier stage. We are generally programmed, following a trauma injury, to investigate internal injuries. The development of infection is rare but I accept it is something we need to be more aware of.

Mr Bishop, of Sherwood Park Road, Mitcham misread lights at a busy Croydon town centre junction, crashing his van into a bus on February 28 last year.

The inquest heard he went to hospital with head and chest injuries but was discharged after an x-ray revealed no fractures.

Three days later he returned in extreme pain on advice of his GP and was seen by a series of doctors who took readings but failed to spot the infection.

His mother Judith Bishop said: “He was in such agony, he could barely stand, it was really bad.”

Overnight at 2am on March 4 he called for help and a nurse took further readings.

Independent medical expert Dr Richards said a high white blood cell count should have raised alarm about infection.

She said: “Every hour counts. Evidence suggests with this strain of bacteria every hour increases the chance of death by around five to seven percent."

Antibiotics were not administered until 4pm that day when Mr Bishop’s organs began failing and he was taken into intensive care.

Dr Moghal, the intensive care consultant who saw him, extracted 1.3 litres of puss from his lungs, the most he had seen, administered antibiotics and put him on a drip but early on March 5 Mr Bishop died.

He said: “If he was to have any hope of survival that hope was dashed by the delays in administering antibiotics.”

Fergus Keegan, associate director of operations at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust at the time, said changes to the hospital’s early warning system, the availability of an additional test for infection and extra training for identifying sepsis had been introduced since the death.

Coroner Dr Roy Palmer recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He added he would write to Transport for London about the junction between Park Lane and Park Street, Croydon after PC Andrew Smith advised the light system should be improved.