A private hospital has acknowledged that its care fell below its normal standards over the death of a Jewish patient.

Neil Shestopal, a solicitor, suffered a cardiac arrest believed to have been caused by an air embolism after the removal of a catheter by a nurse at the London Clinic in April 2016.

He was left with a severe brain injury, according to a family friend, the legal journalist Joshua Rozenberg, and died in November 2016 after months “in a state of minimal awareness”. He was 72.

His widow, Dawn Freedman, a retired circuit judge, was in his room at the London Clinic when the catheter was removed. The family claim the proper procedure was not carried out.

Mr Shestopal, who was honorary cantor at Ealing Synagogue, had undergone cancer surgery at the clinic. 

An inquest into his death will take place later this month.

A spokesperson for the London Clinic said: “We conducted an investigation in April 2016 and shared the findings with Mrs Shestopal at the time.  We have apologised unreservedly for what happened; the care we provided fell below the standards we set ourselves.”