'My dad died two weeks after hip surgery, we feel as if we've been robbed'

A family say they have been “robbed” after a much-loved dad and grandad died two weeks after undergoing a hip replacement that was supposed to transform his life.

John Ian Young was on a five-year waiting list for the procedure before going under the knife at University Hospital Hairmyres – but died two weeks later.

The 59-year-old was diagnosed with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis, a dangerous reaction to blood thinners that caused his blood to clot aggressively rather than thin.

His daughter, Candice Coleman, believes that Clexane injections given at University Hospital Hairmyres, together with the heparin drip at Wishaw General, led to the decline in his health and, ultimately, his death on June 21.

‘Discharged too soon’

Candice, 33, who works in occupational therapy as a physio nurse at NHS Lanarkshire, says her dad was discharged following the hip replacement “too soon”.

It came after the family raised concerns over his “jaundiced and clammy skin”, but felt they were ignored.

She told STV News: “His arthritis had got extremely bad to the point where his mobility was being affected.

“So the consultant had said that he was putting him on the emergency list, but again, that was still a two-year wait.

“As soon as he got that letter, I’ve never seen someone light up so much in all their life because he thought he was getting his life back.”

But, after undergoing the surgery, John reported feeling tender and sore.

His daughter noticed that he was a “funny colour” and had a distended stomach, but after undergoing a CT scan and ECG, John was sent home, deemed medically fit.

“It was a matter of 48 hours after leaving the hospital when he was very sore and swollen. We phoned up the ward and they said it was a side effect.

“They made us feel like we were overreacting and said to call 999 if he experienced chest pain or was vomiting blood.

“Ten days post-op, he collapsed on the floor because he couldn’t move. He said he was in so much pain in his stomach, his back, and throughout his whole body.

“He was barely conscious, his face was grey, and he couldn’t feel anything from the waist down. His feet were like blocks of ice.”

After being taken to Wishaw General, where medics believed he had a blood clot, John was put on a heparin drip.

“Within a matter of 12 hours, they had gone from telling us they could amputate below the legs, to saying he was at the end of life.

“I just didn’t understand how he could be suffering so much with the amount of drugs in his body.

“The doctors said to us, it was like having a heart attack over and over again because his nerves were shutting down, his organs were shutting down, and just basically he was dying like a slow, painful death for four days.”

NHS investigation

NHS Lanarkshire says it will undertake a review of Mr Young’s death.

Russell Coulthard, director of acute services, said: “Although we are unable to comment on the details of this individual case just now, our thoughts and sympathies are with the family at this tragic time.

“NHS Lanarkshire will undertake a review of this patient’s death and our senior clinicians have already had extensive conversations with the family.

“We will continue to liaise directly with the family.”

‘We feel as if we’ve been robbed’

As for Alan’s family, they continue to struggle to accept that they weren’t made aware of the side effects of the blood-thinning medication.

“As a family, we just feel as if we’ve been robbed,” Candice added. “Everybody can apologise, but saying sorry is not going to bring him back.

“I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy to go through what my dad and my family went through.”

A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “The Procurator Fiscal has received a report on the death of a 59-year-old man in East Kilbride on June 21, 2025.

“An investigation into the death is ongoing, and significant developments will be shared with the family of John Young throughout the investigation.”