A CORONER is to question social services bosses after it was revealed no action was taken for hours when a meals on wheels worker was unable to waken an elderly lady.

By the time inquiries were made three hours later, Mrs Joan Rawstron had already been admitted to hospital after being found by her daughter. She died two days later.

At an inquest in Burnley, East Lancashire Coroner David Smith said he was concerned at the delay and intended to write to Lancashire County Council Social Services asking for the system to be looked into.

Mr Smith heard that 67-year-old Mrs Rawstron, of Plover Street, Burnley, died of broncho pneumonia after an overdose of sleeping tablets.

When the inquest was opened, Judith Dixon of Culshaw Street, Burnley, said her mother died in Burnley General Hospital on September 12.

She had suffered poor health including heart problems and a stroke. She was attended by social services morning and night, by wheels on wheels at lunchtime and spent every afternoon with her mother.

Pat Mason, a meals and wheels delivery driver and home help, said she found Mrs Rawstron asleep. She tried to wake her but had been unable to.

After delivering three more meals she returned to the office at Chaddesley House 15 or 20 minutes later and reported the incident.

She had not used the lifeline or phone at the house because she knew Mrs Rawstron was breathing and she was not unduly concerned about her. LCC social services clerk Maureen Thornber said she did not do anything about it until returning to her own office at about 3.15pm.

Because Mrs Rawstron had been seen, it did not amount to a no-reply situation which would be been dealt with as an emergency.

Mr Smith said he thought that situation was just as urgent.

He added: "I am not going to bully you about it. It is a matter for the LCC Social Services.

"Your explanation is that you didn't do anything for two and a half hours or so because you were not too concerned.

"She could have been unconscious even though she was breathing. I cannot honestly understand why you left it so long. It doesn't seem very logical to me, it seems an awful long time to do nothing about it."

Mrs Thornber replied: "I didn't think it was so urgent. I was assured she was breathing."

Mr Smith said the system had fallen down because no attempt had been made to contact Mrs Rawstron until later.

Pathologist Dr WD Salman said Mrs Rawstron would still have died had she been admitted to hospital some hours earlier.

Cause of death was bronchial pneumonia following an overdose of Temazepam.

Recording an open verdict, Mr Smith said there was no evidence to indicate why she took the overdose.

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