SENIOR nurses in Weston and Worle have promised improvements in care have been made following the death of a great grandmother.

Bosses of a team of district nurses admit there were failings in record keeping before 89-year-old Rosaline Beard died at Weston General Hospital.

The Earlfield Lodge care home resident, although judged to have passed away naturally on November 26 three years ago, had suffered from a pressure ulcer on her back in the three months before she died.

But nurse manager Debra Harrison admitted Mrs Beard was not monitored enough and paperwork on her worsening condition, including notes on visits and tests, had gone missing.

At an inquest at Flax Bourton Coroners Court on Tuesday, Ms Harrison told assistant deputy coroner Terrence Moore a review of care had been undertaken following the episode.

She said: “We have subsequently reviewed care and improved the reporting system of pressure ulcers for patients.

“Regular training has also been given to nurses and we have restructured the organisation to give nurses more time with patients.

“We are also working more closely with care homes and communities to help improve record keeping.”

Mr Moore responded by saying he was pleased with the organisation’s turnaround, adding he would have demanded the changes if they had not been done.

And despite ruling the ulcer as an underlying factor in her death, he ruled pneumonia, caused by an infection in her urinary system, to be the main cause.

He also said her old age was a contributory factor.

He said: “Record keeping was not performed and carried out as regularly and to a standard which is now in place.

“It is right that I would have made rule for changes I expected to take place, but I think I have heard evidence which suggests such changes have taken place.

“Now, such changes are in place I hope we don’t have this chain of events again.”

After the inquest, Mrs Beard’s son Alan, aged 60, said he was pleased with the organisation’s turnaround, but added: “It is just a pity it took the death of my mother for this series of poor record keeping to be sorted out.”