DOCTORS will be quizzed by a coroner over the 'tragic' death of a patient who died following surgery.

Michelle Ginsburg-Smith died in February aged 50, seven months after suffering serious brain damage after a thyroid removal operation.

Surgery took place at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, and the next day she suffered hypoxia and a cardiac arrest due to a blood vessel leak blocking her airway.

From then Mrs Ginsburg-Smith, who lived in Oxford with her husband Mark Ginsburg, had to be tube-fed and lost her quality of life.

A High Court judge gave clinicians permission to switch off her life support, in agreement with her loved ones.

Mr Ginsburg, who described his late wife as 'the most wonderful person I had ever met', wants questions answered about the tragedy and said he remains 'heartbroken' by her death.

Oxford Coroner's Court is due to hold a full inquest in December exploring the facts of her death, and a pre-inquest review was held there today to set the scope of the investigation.

Social worker Mr Ginsburg, 55, said: "In spite of how upsetting it will be to relive that nightmare, we still have unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding Michelle’s surgery, which we hope the coroner will help us to uncover."

He and catering manager Mrs Ginsburg-Smith, who most recently worked for Krispy Kreme, had been married for 10 years.

Assistant coroner for Oxfordshire Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp told the court: "I want to look at events leading up to surgery, decisions made and the consent process, what happened during the operation and the aftermath.

"I want to do my best to get to the heart of what happened and ensure steps have been taken to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Mr Ginsburg said friends, colleagues and 'devoted' family members were at his wife's bedside almost every minute of her seven months in hospital, following the surgery in July 2017.

He said: "Throughout those months she had no dignity or quality of life, and I devoutly hope that she suffered as little as possible.

"Most devastating was the effect of her brain damage on those who had known and loved her all their lives, particularly her nephews and great-nephew.

"Despite their determination to not lose her, many family and friends honestly recalled that Michelle had told them that she would never have wanted to continue to live in such a disabled state."

Lawyer Emma Rush, partner at Irwin Mitchell which is representing Mr Ginsburg, said: "This is a truly tragic case which understandably has had a tremendous effect on all of Michelle's family.

"Whilst nothing can make up for Michelle’s death, it is hoped the inquest process can fully establish the facts as to how she died, so her family can receive the vital answers they deserve."