Inquest into death of Center Parc mechanic Nicholas Papworth

On Monday, the inquest of Nicholas Papworth was heard at Suffolk Coroners’ Court in Ipswich.

After being discharged from hospital on Christmas Eve, Mr Papworth died at his Brandon home on December 27 last year, aged 55.

Nicholas Papworth's family described him as 'a kind and gentle soul'. (Image: Ashley Papworth)

He was, said his partner Sharon Davies, “a kind and gentle soul”.  He had a quick wit and a friendly nature, able to offer advice to anyone who needed it, whether or not they knew him well. “You could trust him implicitly,” she said.

Mr Papworth, who worked as a bicycle mechanic at the nearby Center Parcs in Elveden Forest, was looking forward to becoming a grandfather for the first time.

An avid biker, he was already imagining carrying the new baby on his beloved bike when the time came.

The inquest heard Mr Papworth started suffering from heart palpitations and dizzy spells in July 2022.

Following numerous tests and measures to treat his blood pressure and cholesterol, a pacemaker was inserted on October 18 at West Suffolk Hospital.

He returned to hospital on November 29 with chest pain. A procedure was performed to drain some fluid from the sac around his heart, which seemed to resolve matters.

However, paramedics were called to Mr Papworth’s home days after Christmas when he became severely unwell and was struggling to breathe.

The court heard the 55-year-old suffered a fatal cardiac incident, despite attempts from the ambulance crew to revive him.

Pathologist Dr Kate Honnor conducted a post-mortem examination of Mr Papworth’s body.

She explained to the court that Mr Papworth had died from a cardiac tamponade. This occurs when the heart cannot fill with blood, because there is fluid in the pericardial sac which surrounds the heart.

However, Dr Honnor explained that as well as fluid, she discovered congealed, semi-solid material in Mr Papworth’s pericardial sac.

Mr Papworth's inquest concluded at Suffolk Coroners' Court, Ipswich. (Image: Newsquest)

Dr Oliver Segal, a consultant cardiologist from London, joined proceedings as an expert witness.

He explained that the necessary insertion of a pacemaker can cause inflammation of the heart, which occasionally becomes aggressive. It is this which causes the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac, which in turn causes pressure to build-up.

However, he said that the liquid turning to solid material is an extremely rare phenomenon, which he did not think clinicians at West Suffolk Hospital or ambulance personnel could have anticipated or diagnosed.

“I work at one of the largest pacemaker institutes in Europe, and I have never seen it before,” said Dr Segal.

He added that he doubted any medical professional could explain why the solid material developed.

Dr Honnor explained that a patient developing an inflammation response following the insertion of a pacemaker, as Mr Papworth did, is rare, affecting around 1-2% of patients.

For their reaction to be as severe as Mr Papworth’s was also uncommon, making his case doubly rare.

Some initial concerns were raised by his family that paramedics had not attempted to drain fluid to relieve the pressure, as had been previously done in West Suffolk Hospital.

However, Dr Segal said that attempting such a complex procedure in a patient’s home, with no specialist equipment available to show where a needle should be placed would have been “unbelievably difficult”.

Adding to this was the fact that lifesaving resuscitation would have had to be performed on Mr Papworth simultaneously.

In court were Mr Papworth’s sons, Ashley and Ryan Papworth. Ryan Papworth told those present that their questions had been answered and they were reassured.

The brothers thanked the clinicians present for their combined efforts to save their father.

“They did everything they could,” said Mr Ryan Papworth.

Presiding Coroner Peter Taheri returned a narrative conclusion. He found that Mr Papworth died due to a rare complication of necessary surgery to insert a cardiac pacemaker.

He added that Mr Papworth’s death was not caused by any failure or shortcoming on the part of those treating him.