THE family of a Burnley pensioner who died at Royal Blackburn Hospital raised questions about his medication at his inquest.

John Purtill, 78, of Lydgate, was admitted to hospital with a bad chest. While in hospital, his kidneys failed and he contracted pneumonia. He died on May 9.

An inquest heard he had been prescribed Ibuprofen despite him having a kidney disorder.

Coroner Michael Singleton ruled that Mr Purtill’s death was due to ‘natural’ causes and said the cause of death was bronchopneumonia, listing other health complaints such as diabetes and renal failure as contributory factors.

The coroner was advised by pathologist Dr Richard Prescott, who carried out the post-mortem examination, and found no evidence that Ibuprofen contributed to his death.

When asked by Mr Purtill’s brother-in-law, Felix Moss, if the hospital was right to prescribe Ibuprofen to someone with Mr Purtill’s health problems, Dr Prescott said: “From my understanding of the literature, that is definitely not what you should prescribe to someone with kidney problems but from a pathologist’s point of view the Ibuprofen did not contribute to the cause of death.”