Lecturer and author Phillip Morris, 48, originally from Newport, died from a lack of oxygen at St Anthony’s Hospital in Surrey just days after he underwent the planned surgery in December 2021.
The family had moved from Newport to south London in 2016.
The dad-of-one, who had always struggled with his weight, was told the procedure would “change his life” – but instead he never left the hospital.
An inquest in February 2024 ruled he ‘likely would have survived’ if a CO2 monitor, managed by private firm Spire, had been working properly.
Spire Healthcare said they accepted the coroner’s findings, but the family say they are still to receive any substantial financial compensation from them.
Mrs Morris called the situation “a nightmare”, saying that legal action was a last resort to “seek resolution” from their claim.
She said: “It is a year since a coroner ruled that our dear Phillip would have survived had vital steps been taken by their staff.
According to the family, his death had left a “huge hole”, and they have been left with a “great financial burden” but have been met with silence when asking for a resolution.
She described Mr Morris as a “great father” and “intelligent, funny and loving man”, who would never leave hospital due to “fundamental errors” by Spire Healthcare.
He was told the surgery would “change his life” but instead he suffered a series of complications.
Just days later he died from a lack of oxygen – which Mrs Morris blames on the “appalling” care she says he received from those at Spire.
An inquest into Mr Morris’ death, held last February at Croydon Coroner’s Court, revealed that blood tests were not taken when they should have been, causing a delay in diagnosing his condition’s severity.
The hearing also heard that equipment used in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to monitor Mr Morris was not working correctly, causing problems during an attempted intubation.
Mrs Morris said she felt that her husband’s symptoms had been “dismissed”.
Dana said that both she and Orson have been diagnosed with PTSD following Mr Morris’ death – with Orson still requiring counselling, and that the inquest revealed a “succession of avoidable failures” by Spire and the hospital staff which they believe are responsible for her husband’s death.
She added: “We believe more needs to be done at Spire Hospitals, including thorough implementation of procedures to ensure that they are equipped and can adequately deal with patients post-operatively.
“Finally, if a family does suffer the loss of their loved ones, they should be treated with more respect and compassion than we received.
“Spire’s mistakes cost Phillip his life and we will forever suffer those consequences. Lessons must be learned so this never happens to any other family.”
Documents allege “substandard treatment” on the part of Spire and some of the doctors that treated Mr Morris.
The family are seeking damages.
A Spire Healthcare spokesperson said: “Due to ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to comment on specific details.
“We apologise for the distress caused by Mr Morris’ death and can confirm that Mrs Morris’ claims are being responded to through the appropriate legal channels.”
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