A Burnley man has died more than four decades after a catastrophic error during routine surgery left him severely brain-damaged as a baby, an inquest has heard.
Martin Stuart Hoyle, originally from Blackburn, was merely months old when he went under the knife at Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury on November 26, 1982. During what should have been a straightforward procedure, Martin suffered cardiac arrest, resulting in catastrophic brain damage. He passed away aged 43 at Royal Blackburn Hospital on August 6 last year.
A post-mortem examination determined that Martin's death was directly caused by sepsis, with perforated appendicitis and craniosynostosis identified as contributing factors.
An inquest examining Martin's death took place at Blackburn Town Hall on February 11. Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor delivered a narrative conclusion, stating: 'Martin Stuart Hoyle died at Royal Blackburn Hospital on the 6th of August 2025 from an infection. On the 26th of November 1982 he had undergone surgery at Manchester Children's Hospital at Pendlebury resulting in catastrophic brain damage.'
Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury shut its doors in 2009 following the transfer of services to the purpose-built Royal Manchester Children's Hospital on Oxford Road. The original site has subsequently been redeveloped.
