Woman choked to death on sandwich

A coroner has called for further training at a care home in Suffolk following the death of an 88-year-old woman who had choked on a sandwich.

Dr Peter Dean said he was "greatly troubled" by the death of Florence Smith at Shaftesbury House, in Ipswich.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death at Ipswich Crown Court.

But he ordered that the Commission for Social Care Inspection be alerted to the death as only one of the four staff on duty had basic first aid training.

From the evidence, it is clear that there is a need for significantly more training than is currently in place Dr Peter Dean, coroner

However, this had not covered the life-saving Heimlich Manoeuvre, the hearing was told.

Mrs Smith lost consciousness after the choking episode in May and died 11 days later in hospital.

It also emerged during the inquest that staff had still not received further training, nearly five months on from the incident.

Procedures changed

"I am greatly troubled by the evidence that I have heard," said Dr Dean, coroner for Greater Suffolk.

"It does worry me that if the same set of circumstances occurred tomorrow, there would still be nobody there in the home with simple additional training that could help save a life.

"From the evidence, it is clear that there is a need for significantly more training than is currently in place."

Sanctuary Care, which runs the home, has said it had made changes to the cover it provided.

"In addition to the basic trained first-aiders who have been always been available at the scheme, from this morning (Tuesday) we have ensured that an advanced first-aider is available at all times at Shaftesbury House," said managing director Steve Wood.

"Sanctuary Care has conducted an immediate internal investigation into all the circumstances of this tragic incident and we will continue to liaise with the coroner directly."