Inquest told that wounds had maggots living in them

Irene Smeaton, known as Rene, was fully independent before she was admitted to Doncaster Royal Infirmary after falling at home.

The 86-year-old, who had lived on her own in Doncaster after her husband Roy died 15 years previously, was found to be suffering from an infection and was booked in for a gallstones operation.

But, a week after she was first admitted to hospital on July 11, 2006, Mrs Smeaton began complaining of pain in her heels.

It was found that she had foot ulcers, which then worsened to the point that, on August 6, maggots were discovered breeding in the deep wounds.

By the end of August, her family were told nothing more could be done as sepsis – or blood poisoning – had developed.

Mrs Smeaton’s children allowed her to be moved for palliative care and she died on September 4.

The family were then furious to discover that a post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Suzanne Rogers concluded Mrs Smeaton died of “old age”.

Her daughter Diane Grimoldby, who was previously a nursing sister, said: “I’m the medical person in our family, so my family relied on my judgment to say that my mum was placed into terminal care.

“When the death certificate came back with ‘old age’ as the cause of death there was a family uproar. As far as they were concerned, I had killed my mother.”

Mrs Grimoldby and her brothers then gave statements to the coroner, alleging criminal negligence.

Police were called in and the then coroner ordered another post-mortem examination by Home Office pathologist Prof Peter Venezis.

Prof Venezis concluded that the widow in fact died from sepsis. He told the hearing: “She was a very fragile individual so there are other factors, but these are less important in my view than the changes in her leg.”

No charges were ever brought by the police and the inquest into Mrs Smeaton’s death was re-opened in Doncaster yesterday by coroner Neil Cameron.

Dr Rogers told the inquest that she stood by her original findings.

She said: “My conclusions were that the 86-year-old lady died from multiple medical problems. I found it difficult to pinpoint which of these led to her death.”

Referring to the infestation in Mrs Smeaton’s wounds, Robin Bolton, medical director at Doncaster and Bassetlaw hospitals trust, said: “Maggot infestations do happen in any setting – in community or hospital care.”

He also said that “every hospital has a pressure sore problem”.

Matron Joanne Pack said that there was documentation of “at least one occasion where there was some seepage and dressings hadn’t been changed” from the ulcers. The inquest continues.