A CORONER has concluded that the death of a former Newton Abbot man was caused by a rare complication after he received the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

The week-long inquest into the death of former Newton Abbot man Jack Hurn, the 26-year-old graduate from Devon, who was living in Redditch at the time of his death, was completed yesterday, Friday.

Birmingham area coroner Emma Brown recorded a narrative verdict which found Jack had died as a result of a rare, but recognised, complication of receiving the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

In summary, she found insufficient consent for the vaccine and failings at the Alexandra hospital.

NHS guidance at the time was for patients aged under 40 to be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, although they could decide on “an informed choice” to receive it.

Jack Hurn’s family said afterwards: ‘Jack was our world.

‘Our family will never be complete without him and we are still struggling to come to terms with his death.

‘All Jack wanted to do in life was to be the model son, model brother, loyal partner, best friend to many, a good citizen and to be the best person in whatever he did.

‘I think we can say as parents that in his 26 years he achieved all of that and that he did it with an abundance of civility, humbleness, courtesy but tinged with the fantastic sense of humour he had which to anyone who knew him was legendary.

‘People were drawn to Jack, there were no barriers with him and he made people from every walk of life feel special.

‘His dream of a family to raise and be a good dad to has been cruelly taken away and that in itself is an absolute travesty. But the wider impact it’s had on his direct family, extended family and friends is immeasurable.

‘We, his parents, his sister Abby, his partner Alex and her family who he also looked upon with great affection and his many friends, have all been robbed of the most loveable human being.

‘We are all devastated at not only losing Jack but at what he has been denied; his life, his life with Alex, the real possibility of having and raising their own children.

‘We miss Jack each and every day.

‘This week’s inquest, although painful, has helped us to understand more about the circumstances around what happened both at the vaccine clinic and at the hospitals in Redditch and Birmingham.

‘But it is clear that there were failings, delays and inconsistencies which meant Jack was not given the level of care we would have wanted him to receive.

‘It is clear actions which should have been taken were not taken.

‘We’d like to thank the Coroner, our legal team and Jack’s wider family and friends for all their support in the recent months.’

A spokesman for NHS England in the Midlands said: ‘Our sincere condolences are with Jack Hurn’s family and friends for the tragic loss that they have suffered, and we recognise how difficult it will have been to relive the events this week.

‘A number of immediate actions were taken as a result of the incident, and we will continue to work with our partners in respect to the coroner’s findings.’

Contributed