Inquest told of poor care claim

Jul 7 2007 by Paula Owens, Liverpool Daily Post

THE relatives of an elderly Merseyside woman believe she died in hospital because of neglect by nursing staff, an inquest has heard.

Elizabeth Cobain, of Alderson Crescent, Formby, died at Southport hospital in 2002.

Mrs Cobain, 72, died of a stomach haemorrhage after spending more than three weeks at Southport and Formby District Hospital.

Her daughter Carole Cobain-Patel, a trained nurse, and her son-in-law Shailesh Patel, a medical consultant, both believe the care she received was inadequate.

Throughout the inquest, the two questioned treatment she was given and said that, as medical professionals, they would have acted differently.

Amongst the issues raised by her family were a lack of response to her complaints of bed sores and vomiting.

Sefton coroner Christopher Sumner said he would be considering three verdicts: a narrative verdict, neglect and natural causes and will announce his decision on July 27.