THE family of a great-grandmother who died after a heart valve was inserted the wrong way round say they will continue to fight for justice.

At an inquest held in Newcastle into the death of Sheila Hynes, the coroner ruled that opportunities were missed to rectify the operation at the city’s Freeman Hospital.

The 72-year-old did not recover from the acute heart damage during the operation in which the valve was inserted the wrong way round.

Describing the case as a “tragedy”, coroner Karen Dilks gave a verdict in which she said: “Opportunities were missed to identify and rectify the position of the valve, causing Mrs Hynes acute heart damage from which she could not recover.”

Speaking after the hearing, patient’s daughter Jan Hopper said: “It is shocking and can’t end here. We won’t allow it and we’ll continue to fight for justice for mum.”

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust expressed its condolences and described what happened as “a one in a million complication”.

The trust has since changed procedures and protocols to ensure that this type of event cannot happen again.