A MAN’S death could have been prevented if he had been given drugs to help prevent a blood clot when he was discharged from a Glasgow hospital, an inquiry found.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has apologised to a widow for ‘significant and serious failings’ in the care of her late husband.

The unnamed woman’s husband had a hip replacement at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in June 2016 and was discharged with aspirin to reduce the risk of developing a blood clot.

Three weeks later he was readmitted with a suspected upper-gastrointestinal bleed but suffered a sudden collapse and died from a cardiac arrest caused by a pulmonary embolism - a sudden blockage in a major artery.

Read more: Dad hails 'brave and remarkable' son after cardiac arrest 

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) inquiry found that by discharging the man on aspirin alone “there was a failure to provide appropriate medication to reduce the risk of blood clots”.

The report notes there is “no completely effective way of preventing pulmonary embolism; however, providing appropriate medication could have reduced the risk”.

“We were unable to rule out the possibility that this failing may have contributed to (the man’s) death,” it added.

A spokesman for the health board said: “We recognise there were also some clear failings in the patient’s care and have written to the family to reiterate our condolences and to apologise for these failings.”