A "VULNERABLE" Winchester man died within 24 hours of leaving hospital from complications after an operation.

Thomas Church from Winchester had surgery to remove a kidney following the discovery of a tumour, but died only four days later.

The 67-year-old had returned home from Royal Hampshire County Hospital when he stopped breathing.

Paramedics attended Cathedral View but Mr Church was pronounced dead at the scene on October 28 last year.

Winchester Coroner's Court heard better planning should have been made for Mr Church's discharge but that he had not been released too early.

William Church said his brother had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

"I was surprised at the haste as to which Thomas was discharged after just three days," he said.

"I do not doubt for a minute that Thomas was keen to return home but that doesn't mean that he was able to look after himself properly."

Joanna Nias, Mr Church's friend who took him to hospital on October 24 last year, said he was "vulnerable."

Dr Andrew Adamson, consultant urologist with Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust, said: "I don't think we had concerns at any stage that he failed to have the capacity to understand the problems and make a decision on how he wanted to proceed."

He added Mr Church had an "uneventful" recovery and that three days was an average length of stay for an operation of this kind.

"I think nursing staff were aware of his chaotic living conditions and had offered social services input which was declined," he said.

Pathologist Dr Adnan Al-Badri said Mr Church's intestine had become obstructed, which was likely to have caused vomiting, and some may have gone into the lungs.

Debbie Diffy of South Central Ambulance Service said there was a shortage of ambulances, but that there was "a lot of time wasted" with an initial 999 call where a call taker failed to get a clear picture of Mr Church's condition.

She added that training had taken place and that an action plan made for a clinician who did not take a "systematic approach" to establishing Mr Church's condition.

Central Hampshire coroner Grahame Short gave a cause of death as sepsis, caused by pneumonia, which in turn was caused by the intestinal obstruction.

He said: "It would be right to say he had refused offers of help. I am satisfied that there was a degree of self-neglect.

"He was discharged without enough planning for his care at home and Tom didn't fully understand how hard it would be.

"But I cannot make a finding that his discharge was premature.

"Although there were some delays in the arrival of an ambulance I don't believe there was anything staff could have done to prevent his death.

"I do think it is more likely than not that if he had remained in hospital it is possible that he would have survived."

He recorded a narrative conclusion that Mr Church died as a result of post-operative illeus, a condition not recognised before he left hospital.