Former Nottingham Forest striker Kevin Campbell's hospital care was subject to 'safety incident' before his death

A health trust has raised concerns over the hospital care of former Nottingham Forsest player Kevin Campbell, an inquest has heard. Mr Campbell died aged 54 at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) on June 15, a month after he was admitted.

Opening an inquest into his death on Thursday, area coroner for Manchester Zak Golombek said Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, had declared a Level 5 patient safety incident the most serious category regarding aspects of his care. He said the provisional cause of death given for Mr Campbell was multiple organ failure due to a heart infection.

Mr Golombek outlined the background details at Manchester Coroner's Court in the absence of Mr Campbell's family. He said: "In terms of the circumstances of his death he had been admitted to Manchester Royal Infirmary on May 15 2024."

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"He had been reported to have been fit and well until around January 2024 when he had a number of admissions to hospital before this final admission."

"I have been notified that Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust which manages Manchester Royal Infirmary has declared a Level 5 incident related to aspects of Mr Campbell's care in which there is reference to both a delay in aspects of his care and diagnosis, and also concerns raised over decision-making processes with regards to the institutions of palliative care."

"Those matters are now subject to internal investigations by the hospital trust," said the coroner.

"Therefore I am able to direct that there should be additional evidence to be obtained which includes the investigation report, together with associated witness statements from all relevant clinicians involved in Mr Campbell's care and also a statement be obtained from Mr Campbell's next of kin in order to provide an antecedent history for Mr Campbell and to set out any concerns that the family may have had in relation to his care."

"I have also received notification from the trust that a medical cause of death can be offered and therefore I will consider evidence from the clinicians involved in Mr Campbell's care as to the cause of his death."

"The provisional cause of death, as it stands, refers to Mr Campbell dying from multi-organ failure as a result of infective endocarditis."

"So, final determinations on the medical cause of death and the care afforded to Mr Campbell will be made as part of the inquest process."

"I will adjourn the proceedings to await additional disclosure." No date was set for a further hearing.

According to the NHS website, endocarditis is a rare and potentially fatal infection of the inner lining of the heart and is most commonly caused by bacteria entering the blood and travelling to the heart. .

Mr Campbell, who netted 59 goals in 224 appearances for Arsenal, clinched the league title in 1990/91 and also bagged the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup during his time at Highbury.

In 1995, he moved to Nottingham Forest where he spent three seasons before a brief stint at Trabzonspor in Turkey, eventually landing at Everton in 1999.

He remained with the Toffees until 2005, serving as captain under Walter Smith, and concluded his playing career with stints at West Brom and Cardiff.

Post-retirement, Mr Campbell transitioned into media work and became a member of the Black Footballers Partnership, an organisation dedicated to amplifying the voices and influence of black footballers.