‘PLEASE don’t let me suffer’ words screamed by a dying mother from her hospital bed as she was ignored by nurses, an inquest heard.

Weston mum Jacqueline Jones, aged 59, died on September 4 last year after four days as a patient at Weston General Hospital.

At a hearing at Flax Bourton Coroners Court last week, her family criticised the level of care she received on the night before she died.

Daughters Sara Jones and Sharon Leakey, both of Weston, said they were also upset with the communication between the doctors and the family and was not consulted on a ‘do not resuscitate’ instruction, known as DNR, filed on Mrs Jones’ behalf.

Mrs Leakey said: “My main concern was about the nurse on night duty on September 3 as she was insensitive, rude and uncaring.

“I cannot believe how uncaring she was and if I felt uncomfortable how would patients feel?

“My mum was crying out, shouting and screaming in pain saying that she couldn’t breathe.

“She was saying ‘don’t let me suffer please don’t let me suffer’.

“It was then left to me to help her breathe.

“If you have a patient that is screaming who then goes to being completely quiet surely that would ring alarm bells.

“Why was this not picked up by the night duty nurse?”

Mrs Jones, who lived with her husband in Brompton Road, had been in good health up until the summer of 2009 when she began to lose weight.

She was admitted to hospital, on and off, while investigations were done by doctors, cancer was ruled out and she was fitted with a catheter.

She later developed a urinary tract infection and her health rapidly declined last August.

She was admitted to Weston General Hospital on September 1 and died three days later.

The court heard how the bladder infection had caused blood poisoning and she also had scarring on her liver and lungs.

Medical notes showed the seriousness of Mrs Jones’ condition was discussed with her family in the days before she died, but the DNR option was not.

It was not clear in the inquest whether or not Mrs Jones had requested the DNR herself.

Dr David Parker said attempts to restart her heart would have been ‘futile’.

Mrs Leakey added: “It was never discussed with us that the doctors had decided do not resuscitate and it would have been nice to have the discussion.”

Assistant deputy coroner, Dr Simon Fox, recorded a verdict of natural causes.