Lower Layham: Widow hopes husband’s death will raise awareness of side-effects of medical drugs

A GRIEVING widow has vowed: “If I can prevent this from happening to another family I will feel Stuart’s death was not totally in vain.”

Julie Newbery’s husband Stuart, 44, died from lung disease at Ipswich Hospital on May 31 last year.

An inquest held on Wednesday heard that Mr Newbery, of Shelly Road, Lower Layham, was diagnosed with psoratic arthritis in 2008 and was given the drug, methotrexate, between 2008 and 2009 but the medication was stopped when he developed shortness of breath.

A statement from Mrs Newbery was read by Suffolk’s deputy coroner Kevin McCarthy. It said: “If I can prevent this from happening to another family I will feel Stuart’s death was not totally in vain. When he was prescribed methotrexate he was never told of the side effects.

“I feel we should have been given all the facts before he took the drug.”

Mr Newbery was subsequently diagnosed with terminal respiratory disease and was waiting for a possible lung transplant at Papworth Hospital.

A report from Dr Paul Holmes, a consultant at Ipswich Hospital, which was read during the inquest confirmed the “lung damage was a well recognised but rare complication of methotrexate usage”.

Mr McCarthy recorded a verdict of natural causes. He said: “Your husband died from an awful disease and that seemed to be exacerbated by one of the treatments he was given.

“When that was discovered the treatment was stopped by which time it was too late.”