Nicola Tweedy , 54 , died two days after she had her varicose veins operated on at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital . The death of a woman days after she underwent surgery on her varicose veins could have been prevented , her husband has today claimed . Nicola Tweedy , 54 , had the operation at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in March last year and was discharged the same evening . But two days later the mother-of-two was found apparently asleep in her chair at the family home in Pulham Market , Norfolk . When her family failed to rouse the classroom assistant , they called an ambulance . Despite the best efforts of the paramedics called , Mrs Tweedy died . A post-mortem examination later confirmed she had suffered a pulmonary embolism , a blood clot which reached her lungs . An inquest heard staff at the hospital failed to ensure Mrs Tweedy was fully aware of the risk of suffering a blood clot during the operation , because of an 'oversight ' . Her husband , Chris Tweedy , 53 , said he is now considering taking civil action against the hospital , claiming he believes his wife 's death could have been prevented . The postman , who lives with the couple 's two children , said : 'They were required to avoid harming her and , tragically , in my opinion , they did not . ' South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon said the case was a 'tragedy ' which should prompt improvements . He added : 'It is clear to me that more could and should have been done to mitigate the risks of what was deemed to be appropriate surgery for Mrs Tweedy , most crucially to place Mrs Tweedy and her family in a position to make a fully informed choice about whether to proceed with the operation . 'Any hospital treating over half a million people each year will occasionally not do everything perfectly . People are only human . 'But in the post-Mid Staffs world , when things have been less than perfect , patients and families now expect - and frankly are entitled to expect - much greater openness . ' Consultant vascular surgeon Robert Brightwell admitted to the inquest in Norwich that a thrombosis risk assessment had not been completed . That meant the 54-year-old was not fully informed about the dangers of the surgery , including the increased risk for those with a high body mass index . Nurse Susan Brown said she accepted it was 'an oversight ' and that a checklist had not been completed on the patient 's discharge notes . Coroner Jacqueline Lake gave a narrative conclusion that Mrs Tweedy died following a 'rare but recognised ' risk of surgery , adding she will write a report so that future deaths may be prevented . She said she was satisfied that the operation itself had been conducted appropriately . But raised concerns that Mrs Tweedy had not been given the correct leaflets on her care . Speaking after the inquest Mr Tweedy said his family 's lives had been 'damaged beyond repair ' . He described his wife and his 'happy , smiling soul-mate ' . Mrs Tweedy 's husband , Chris , 53 , who lives with the couple 's two children , said he believes his wife 's death could have been prevented . A post mortem examination revealed Mrs Tweedy died of a pulmonary embolism , a blood clot in her lungs . He added : 'Nicky was a happy , smiling , laughing , easy going , fun loving person all of her life . 'She was someone who loved , cared for , guided , supported and helped so many people throughout her life . 'In my opinion , the Norfolk and Norwich would have done nothing to learn the lessons from my wife 's death , and to materially revise their protocols and procedures , which they have subsequently done , without my formal complaint and , even after that , without the very considerable pressure I have placed upon them , both personally and through other organisations . 'In the United Kingdom thousands of patients die a preventable death every year from hospital acquired venous thromboembolism . 'Many thousands more have to live with the life changing consequences . 'That , in my opinion , is a national scandal . ' A hospital spokeswoman expressed sympathy to the Tweedy family . She added : 'Mrs Tweedy died of a rare but recognised complication of surgery , estimated to occur in approximately 0.01 per cent of cases , in other words one in 10,000 patients . 'While it is possible to reduce the risks of surgery they can never be eliminated entirely . 'The trust commissioned an independent review in order to identify any ways in which we could improve our services . 'Once we have the coroner 's recommendations we will review these to identify any further opportunities for improvement . ' Lawyer Sharon Allison , of Ashton KCJ which represented the family , said : 'My client and his family are understandably devastated beyond words at their loss . 'They have many questions relating to the hospital 's protocols concerning blood clotting risks . ' An inquest heard how a pre-surgery risk assessment was not completed , meaning Mrs Tweedy was not fully aware of the risks of suffering a blood clot during her operation .
Nicola Tweedy had an operation on her varicose veins Two days . last March after leaving the Norfolk and Norwich hospital she died . Post-mortem examination showed she suffered a pulmonary embolism . Inquest heard mother-of-two had not been made fully aware of the risks of developing a blood clot as a result of the surgery . Husband Chris Tweedy said he believes her death could 've been prevented . Hospital spokesman said risks of surgery 'can never be eliminated '