A WOMAN of 88 died from septicaemia brought on by complications following a fractured femur sustained in an accident at her home, an inquest in Skipton was told.

Heather Robinson died at her home in Westwood, Carleton, on June 4 last year, after several trips to Airedale Hospital's A&E department in the months before her death, when she had declined hospital treatment and insisted on going home.

Widow Mrs Robinson, described at the hearing as "strong-willed", had consented to some care at home, assistant coroner for Yorkshire North-West, Jonathan Heath, was told.

The inquest heard Mrs Robinson had banged her femur when she was being tended to by staff from S and S Home Care, of Keighley.

A sling hoist had been used to lift her onto her commode and Mrs Robinson, still strapped into the hoist, had slipped forward and hit her leg when she had leaned forward.

Two members of staff were required to operate the hoist at all times, the inquest was told, but there was only one – Kelly Imeson – there at the time as her colleague was "running late".

Mrs Robinson had told her carer she needed to use the toilet urgently. As was usual practice, Ms Imeson told the hearing, she had gone into the kitchen to give Mrs Robinson some privacy. She was aware she should not have operated the hoist alone, Ms Imeson said.

She had heard Mrs Robinson scream and rushed to help. Mrs Robinson insisted she was not badly hurt and would be all right. There were no marks on her leg. Ms Imeson said she had made other staff aware of the incident, but had not entered it in Mrs Robinson's care book.

Five days later, when it was her turn to visit Mrs Robinson, she saw bruising on her leg, but Mrs Robinson insisted she was fine.

S and S Home Care owner, Sandra Etherington, told the hearing she was "horrified" when she made a rota visit to Mrs Robinson several days later and saw bruising. Mrs Robinson had told her she was not in pain. Ms Etherington had immediately made a 'safeguarding incident report' to North Yorkshire County Council, she said.

Dr Lucy Checker, of Dyneley House Surgery, told the inquest she had examined Mrs Robinson, who told her she was not in pain. She had an irregular heartbeat but declined blood tests. Mrs Robinson was alert and did not appear distressed.

Several days later, a carer requested a GP visit as Mrs Robinson appeared to have swelling of the knee and was showing signs of possible stroke. Mrs Robinson agreed to a blood test but "would not go into hospital in any circumstances".

She was lucid and appeared to have the capacity to make decisions, Dr Checker added.

Two days later, carers called an ambulance when Mrs Robinson was hyperventilating and she was taken to the A &E department at Airedale Hospital. She had a fractured femur and hypothermia, but was discharged home at her own insistence.

She was taken back to hospital several times in the weeks before she died and each time insisted on treatment at home.

Her son, Mark Robinson, said he felt there were times when his mother had not had the capacity to make decisions in her best interests, and that the care safeguarding policy had been found lacking.

Giving a narrative conclusion, coroner Mr Heath said Mrs Robinson appeared to have had fluctuating capacity to decide on her own best interests. He would be writing a report highlighting what appeared to be deficiencies in how information was communicated between carers, he added.