West Sussex deputy coroner David Skipp said issues had been raised at the inquest into the death of Constance Dennis concerning continuity of care and problems with communication within the hospital's systems and these needed to be reviewed.

The Worthing inquest heard on Tuesday (June 17) how Mrs Dennis waited for more than a week for a CT scan, despite being admitted to hospital with severe hip pain after she suffered a fall on February 6.

The 85-year-old, who lived in a sheltered housing complex in Brittons Croft, Steyning, was completely deaf, blind in one eye and suffered from epilepsy.

But initial X-rays failed to show any signs of a fracture and although Mrs Dennis was admitted to hospital it was decided not to operate on her initially.

Mrs Dennis' son, Richard Berkeley, told the hearing that his mother could be difficult and often became aggressive when she didn't want to do something.

She hated hospitals and would become confused and pull out any drips or lines in her arms.

He said there seemed to be confusion over whether she would undergo an operation and he was concerned staff weren't making her eat or drink.

"She was pumped full of morphine, hallucinating, did not recognise me and when she was dying, her chest was thundering up and down and she was shouting "help me, help me". It was not a peaceful death and that's what upset me."

Hospital consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr David Llewellyn-Clark said there was delays in operating on Mrs Dennis because initially the x-rays did not show a fracture.

Colleagues could not agree about whether she needed surgery and it was only after a CT scan was carried out a week later that a fracture was revealed.

She eventually had an operation 11 days after she was admitted to repair her hip on February 17.

Dr Al-Lyn Yeo, consultant in the care of the elderly, said Mrs Dennis was on a ward in her department for 10 days and was in a state of confusion and pain when she was admitted.

"She would refuse to eat and drink or take her medication orally so eventually we put up in an intravenous morphine pump. She was confused at times and I organised a CT scan which took two days because she was complaining of hip pain."

The inquest heard that after her operation she was moved to another ward to undergo physiotheraphy.

Deputy nurse team manager Brett Meaton said she was frail and weak, often confused and aggressive.

When asked by the coroner about staffing levels on the ward and patient numbers he said they had six nurses on duty in the morning, four in the afternoon and three at night for 21 patients.

"It is not adequate for the number of patients because they have to wait for attention. The staffing levels are due to financial constraints. I felt the level of Mrs Dennis' care was adequate but it could always be improved.

"Elderly people often become confused in a hospital environment especially when they are moved from ward to ward. It is not ideal but
that is what happens."

Mrs Dennis died on February 29 after developing a chest infection which lead to pneumonia.

Mr Skipp recorded a narrative verdict stating that following a hip fracture and a delay for surgery, Mrs Dennis developed a hospital acquired infection which led to her death.

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