A 66-year-old man told his wife that he feared hospital staff were 'trying to kill him' a day before they put him on a 'do not resuscitate' notice without the consent of his family, an inquest has heard. Michael Richardson, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, died at James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk,  after medics 'played God' with his life, his widow said. The great-grandfather, who died in October 2013, had been ill for several years with a lung condition which caused his breathing to stop but had been given more than a year to live. Heartbroken: Michael Richardson died at James Paget University Hospital after medics 'played God' with his life, his widow, Janet (pictured with her late husband) said told an inquest today. Right, Mr Richardson . Giving evidence at an inquest, his widow, Janet, said her husband had tried to discharge himself the day before his death after becoming concerned about the levels of oxygen he was being given. Speaking at the inquest in Norfolk, she said: 'He said, "I can't breathe, take me home - I can't stand it any more. They're trying to kill me". 'I said, "I love you", and then he said he loved me too. That was the last time I saw him alive. 'I wish I'd bundled him up and taken him home because at least if he was going to die, he was going to die with some dignity.' The 66-year-old accused medics of playing God with his life after discovering a do not resuscitate (DNR) notice had been placed on him without the consent of the family. The inquest heard the family, who had recently moved to Norfolk from Deal, Kent, only learned of the notice when they picked up Mr Richardson's death certificate from the hospital four days after he died. Janet Richardson (centre, with a photo of Mr Richardson) with daughters Jocelin Taylor (left) and Antonia Richardson (right). The widow claimed she only learned of the DNR order four days after her husband's death . Asked by assistant coroner David Osborne if she had given consent for this, Mrs Richardson said: 'No, nothing at all.' She added: 'I visited the hospital twice a day. There would have been loads of opportunities for staff to talk to me. If he had been asked about the DNR notice, he would have said no, I know that. 'He used to say, "some life is better than no life, you're a long time dead". He was well aware he would die at some point, just not that quickly.' Mr Richardson, who was born in Islington, London, was diagnosed with the lung-scarring condition pulmonary fibrosis  in 2008 and received oxygen therapy at home. On October 24 2013, his condition deteriorated and his family called an ambulance which took him to the hospital. Mrs Richardson said he had been moved between various wards and when she visited him he 'seemed worse than when he went in'. Although his medical notes correctly identified pulmonary fibrosis as his main condition, he was initially treated for emphysema, Mrs Richardson said. When she pointed this out, doctors increased his oxygen levels. She also described how her husband had been left to lie on soiled sheets and was not being regularly washed. Care: Mrs Richardson accused medics at James Paget University Hospital of playing God with his life after discovering a do not resuscitate (DNR) notice had been placed on him without the consent of the family . Nurse Louise Curtis described how staff had initially rushed to resuscitate Mr Richardson after an emergency alarm was activated. But as they tried to save his life, a colleague checked his notes and pointed out the DNR notice so they stopped these efforts. She added that staffing levels that day had been 'unusually low' with herself and two agency nurses responsible for 27 patients. Normally the ward would have been staffed by four or five nurses.
Michael Richardson, 66, died at James Paget University Hospital in 2013 . He had been ill for five years but had been given more than a year to live . He tried to discharge himself day before his death, his widow told inquest . She said he'd raised concerns over amount of oxygen he was being given . Four days after his death, Mrs Richardson found out about DNR notice . She said family had not consented and accused medics of playing God . Nurse on-duty at the time today described staff levels as 'unusually low'