Basildon Hospital has vowed to review its procedures constantly, following the inquest on schoolboy Tony Clowes, who died during a routine operation.
The hospital was one of a number investigated by four police forces under the joint Operation Orcadian, which was launched after a series of similar incidents relating to blocked oxygen tubes across the country.
The Essex Police part of the investigation, codenamed Operation Virago, looked into the case of detective Jeremy Roberts, 40, who stopped breathing minutes before being wheeled into a theatre at Basildon Hospital to have a kidney removed in August 2001.
The year-long investigation found that there was no evidence of linked criminal activity between 13 similar incidents which had occurred over a 14-year period nationwide.
Mr Roberts, of Orchard Drive, Grays, would have died from oxygen starvation if operating theatre staff had not acted swiftly once the blockage was spotted.
At first it was believed sabotage was to blame - but the investigation showed that all the tubes involved had become blocked accidentally.
The investigation was sparked by the death of nine-year-old Dagenham schoolboy Tony Clowes at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, in September 2001.
An inquest jury recorded a verdict of accidental death and said the cause had been contributed to by "system neglect".
Bike accident victim Tony Clowes died after a tiny cap from a piece of medical equipment became lodged in a connecting tube and cut off his oxygen supply.
It was also found, during the police investigation, that tubes which should have been used only once had been washed and used again repeatedly in spite of advice from the Government's Medical Devices Agency.
A spokesman for Basildon Hospital said: "In the case of Mr Roberts, there was a blockage and it was immediately spotted.
"We launched our own internal inquiry, as well as having many discussions with the Health and Safety Executive. One of the outcomes of those discussions was to tighten up on our documentation.
"We have the highest standards of safety and constantly review all our policies and procedures."
Published Wednesday, May 21, 2003
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