A widow has issued a high court writ against an NHS trust following the death of her husband.

Yolanda Arnold from Brighton launched the legal action against the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust – which claims to treat over half a million patients a year – following Albert Hodge’s death in 2005.

Mr Arnold, 38, had become ill with an eye inflammation in February 2004 and was treated; however, he contracted chickenpox in August 2005, the Argus reports.

He was admitted to and discharged from hospital, but continued to suffer pains in his chest and stomach and began to cough up blood.

Although he was later readmitted to hospital, Mr Arnold had developed blood clots and renal failure and died on August 28th.

Mrs Arnold claims that the hospital should have realised his immune system had been weakened by steroids prescribed for the eye inflammation and was therefore negligent in that it did not provide anti-viral drugs.

The high court writ is for compensation of up to £300,000, which Mrs Arnold claims should be paid by the trust because it previously admitted a breach of duty.

A spokesperson for the NHS declined to comment.