The St Kilda man who had a bone stuck in his throat for a week has had an apology from Dunedin Hospital.
Conway Wood (60) had urgent surgery to remove the 3.2cm by 3.4cm piece of mutton bone from his oesophagus after a second trip to hospital.
Initially, the emergency department gave him a bottle of Coca-Cola, to dissolve the blockage, and a ham sandwich.
Between the first and second visit, when he had the operation, Mr Wood spent a harrowing week in pain, with difficulty talking, eating and sleeping.
In the letter from Dunedin Hospital emergency department service manager Anne Abbott, the department's clinical leader, Dr John Chambers, apologised to Mr Wood, saying he was incorrectly diagnosed.
Mr Wood was not entirely happy with the apology, as he felt it was qualified by a statement that his presentation was hard to diagnose because he could still swallow, which he disputes.
He said that after his story appeared in the Otago Daily Times, he was contacted by two other people who had similar experiences at the department, with staff seemingly unable to help them after they got something stuck in their oesophagus.
Mr Wood maintains he should have been examined with an endoscope straight away.
