The family of a supremely fit 42-year-old man are demanding accountability from NHS staff after a coroner ruled his fatal heart attack was missed when his symptoms were dismissed as indigestion.
A Tragic Oversight with Fatal Consequences
Kristian Hudson, a marathon runner and former Ju-Jitsu champion from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, visited New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton on 14 February suffering from chest pain. Despite NHS guidelines, medics diagnosed him with 'indigestion type pain' and sent him home without performing a crucial troponin blood test. Just weeks later, Mr Hudson collapsed and died from a heart attack while running near Wessenden Head Reservoir.
At an inquest in Bradford, assistant coroner for West Yorkshire, Caroline Chandler, stated that had his symptoms been assessed correctly, "the police call handler would likely still be alive today." She highlighted the failure to conduct a troponin test, which measures a protein released when the heart muscle is damaged. "Had appropriate escalation of his treatment occurred, it is possible... that his heart disease could have been identified and treated and he would not have died when he did," the coroner concluded.
A Life Full of Vitality Cut Short
Described by friends as "the fittest man on the planet," Kristian Hudson was known for his robust health. His mother, Debra, told the hearing: "Ever since Kristian was a small child, other than chickenpox, he was never ill... He never had a cough or cold, flu, upset stomach or even a headache – absolutely nothing." She said his colleagues noted he "had a zest for life people could only dream of."
The inquest heard that while an electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded as normal, there was no signed record of the results available. This has further fuelled the family's belief that the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and its senior staff have serious questions to answer. "Nothing will bring him back, but an investigation or action could prevent future deaths of a similar nature," Debra Hudson said.
Calls for Accountability and Systemic Change
The family is now calling for individual accountability, arguing that such catastrophic errors often see no personal consequence. "It is heartbreaking to think Kristian lost his life because people didn't do their jobs properly," Mrs Hudson stated. "There never seems to be any accountability for individuals who make these decisions... That wouldn't happen in any other profession."
The Trust has been given until Friday 19 December to respond to the coroner's findings. Joe Chadwick-Bell, group chief executive, offered "sincere condolences" but said due to ongoing discussions they could not comment further.
This case emerges alongside landmark research suggesting that over 99% of people who suffer a cardiac event have detectable risk factors long beforehand, with high blood pressure being the most common. It challenges the notion that heart disease strikes 'out of the blue'. With NHS figures showing rising hospital admissions for heart attacks among people in their 30s and 40s, experts stress the critical importance of early detection and adherence to assessment protocols to prevent similar, avoidable tragedies.
