Health New Zealand's been ordered to apologise to the family of a woman in her 70s who died of sepsis

Open Justice reports a woman developed a possible perforation in her small intestine during surgery for cancer.

She died three weeks later after emergency treatment for sepsis.

Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Carolyn Cooper's found issues with post-operative care, including antibiotics being stopped unexpectedly.

She says issues raised by the woman's grandson, reflect the poor systems at the time. Health New Zealand says it's made several changes since.