A STUDENT died of multi-organ failure just seven days after being admitted into hospital for what her family believed to be a tummy bug, an inquest heard.

Shaista Parveen Rafiq, 22, of Blackburn Road, Accrington, died in Blackburn Royal Infirmary on May 27 after contracting septicaemia following surgery for an obstruction in her small bowel.

The hearing heard how the Blackburn College catering and hospitality student had undergone an operation at birth after being born with some organs on the outside of her abdomen.

This surgery left tissue scarring which later caused her bowel to become blocked.

Sister Rifaat Rafiq told the coroner, sitting at Hyndburn Magistrates Court, that Shaista fell ill on May 16 when she was sick and struggled to eat.

But she was told by a nurse at her GP surgery that it was probably just a stomach bug.

Her condition gradually deteriorated until her concerned family took her to Blackburn Royal Infirmary accident and emergency department on May 20.

The next morning surgeons operated to remove scar tissue found to be blocking her bowel. But instead of recovering, she contracted a lung infection and then septicaemia, which eventually led to her death.

Rifaat told the court that the family were unhappy with the lack of information they were given by doctors who had initially assured them Shaista would make a full recovery.

She told the hearing: "Most of the days we weren't told what was happening."

Surgeon Ahmed Bhowmick told the court he had been happy with how the operation went and that nothing could have been done differently to prevent her death.

Coroner Michael Singleton said Shaista's body had been overwhelmed by the infection that brought about her death.

He recorded a verdict that Shaista had died as a result of the recognised complication of essential surgery.