A health trust has raised concerns about the hospital care of former Nottingham Forest player Kevin Campbell, an inquest has heard. Campbell died at the age of 54 at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) on June 15, a month after being admitted.
Manchester coroner Zak Golombek opened an inquest into his death on Thursday, saying Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, had declared a level 5 patient safety incident, the most serious category, relating to aspects of his care. He said the provisional cause of death given for Mr Campbell was multi-organ failure due to a heart infection.
Mr Golombek outlined the background details at Manchester Coroner’s Court in the absence of Mr Campbell’s family. He said: “In terms of the circumstances of his death, he was admitted to Manchester Royal Infirmary on 15 May 2024.”
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“He was reported to be fit and well until around January 2024. He was then admitted to hospital a number of times before his final admission.”
“I have been informed that Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, which operates Manchester Royal Infirmary, has reported a Level 5 incident relating to aspects of the care of Mr Campbell. Reference is made to both a delay in aspects of his care and diagnosis, and concerns about decision-making processes in relation to palliative care settings.”
“These matters are now being investigated internally by the hospital board,” the coroner said.
“I am therefore able to direct that additional evidence should be obtained, including the investigation report, together with associated witness statements from all relevant clinicians involved in the care of Mr Campbell. A statement should also be obtained from Mr Campbell’s immediate family so that a history of Mr Campbell can be established and any concerns the family may have had regarding his care can be set out.”
“I have also received notice from the trust that a medical cause of death can be offered and therefore I will consider evidence from the clinicians involved in Mr Campbell’s care as to the cause of death.”
“The preliminary cause of death, as it stands now, points to Mr Campbell’s death from multi-organ failure due to infective endocarditis.”
“Final determinations regarding the medical cause of death and the care provided to Mr Campbell will be made as part of the inquest.”
“I will suspend the proceedings pending additional information.” No date has been set for a new hearing.
According to the NHS website, endocarditis is a rare and potentially fatal infection of the inner lining of the heart. The cause is usually a bacterium that enters the blood and travels to the heart.
Mr Campbell, who scored 59 goals in 224 games for Arsenal, won the league title in 1990/91 and also won the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup during his time at Highbury.
In 1995 he moved to Nottingham Forest, where he played for three seasons before a brief spell with Trabzonspor in Turkey, eventually joining Everton in 1999.
He remained with the Toffees until 2005, serving as captain under Walter Smith, and ended his playing career with spells at West Brom and Cardiff.
After retirement, Campbell moved into media work and became a member of the Black Footballers Partnership, an organisation dedicated to amplifying the voice and influence of black footballers.
