Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell died in June last year after losing 63.5kg, half his body weight, in the final months of his life.
A coroner has concluded that the Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) where Kevin Campbell died, could have done nothing more to save him, despite “missed opportunities” and a “lack of curiosity” in the way he was treated in his final days.
The former Everton and Arsenal star lost 123kg to 59.5kg between January and May last year, with his weight plummeting most rapidly in the weeks before his death, when he suffered a rare heart infection, which the Royal Manchester Infirmary admitted should have been detected earlier.
Campbell had serious health problems that emerged in January when he suffered a stroke caused by a blood clot in his heart. This caused his kidneys and liver to fail. "When Mr Campbell came to hospital, he was very unwell," consultant MRI pathologist Dr Robert Henney told the inquest.
Campbell was taken to intensive care. After receiving dialysis treatment, the Arsenal legend's condition improved, and he was discharged in early March. However, when he arrived at the cardiology clinic in a wheelchair, his condition worsened - later discovered to be caused by a heart valve infection - and he was readmitted.
Despite blood tests confirming his condition was serious, Campbell did not return to the palliative care unit, taking medication, until he died a few days later. When he died, aged 54, the hospital initiated a level 5 "serious incident" investigation, reserved for cases where death could occur.
But the hospital later downgraded the level to level 2, meaning there was no monitoring that would have caused harm to Campbell.
Concluding that Campbell died of natural causes, the coroner said: "There was clear evidence of a delay in diagnosing endocarditis and that was recognised as a fact. But the missed opportunity and delay did not contribute to Kevin's death." Kevin Campbell made 213 appearances for Arsenal between 1988 and 1995, scoring 59 goals in all competitions. During his time at the Gunners, the late striker won the First Division title, FA Cup, League Cup, and European Cup Winners' Cup. Campbell also had a spell at Everton, joining in 1999 and making 137 appearances for the club. He also played for Nottingham Forest, West Brom, and Cardiff City. After retiring, he took up a career as a pundit.