A “SWEET and funny” woman died from complications after her leg was amputated, an inquest has heard.

Barbara Humphreys, 88, a resident at Crosfield House care home in Rhayader, died at Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth on November 20, 2018.

She was taken to hospital three days earlier when her leg was found “discoloured and mottled” by care home staff.

The decision was made by doctors and Mrs Humphreys’ family to amputate the right leg above the knee.

The surgeon said he could not see injury nor recognise any problems with the medical management but the “physiological stresses were too great for her frail state”, the coroner was told.

Assistant coroner Ian Boyes recorded a conclusion of natural causes at the inquest in Welshpool.

The inquest heard how Mrs Humphreys was found to have had her legs “trapped” or “wedged” between her bed rail and mattress on five separate occasions during her almost four-month stay at Crosfield House.

Mr Boyes said: “I find no risk assessment has been produced to me regarding the safe use of bed rails completed by the home once Barbara had expressed the wish to have those bed rails fitted.”

On November 16, Mrs Humphreys’ right foot and ankle was found “firmly trapped” and was a purple colour after it became wedged between the bed rail and mattress.

It took two carers to free Mrs Humphreys’ foot.

A GP, Dr Mark Thompson, visiting the care home added Mrs Humphreys to his list but he did not examine her that day.

Mr Boyes said: “I find that the reason that he (the GP) gave in this court today for not seeing her was that he believed that there was no clinical need to do so despite his answer to the question whether he could or should have had a look in relation to determine the severity of her ischemia.”

He added: “I find that after the visit by Dr Thompson, no further action was taken by any member of staff to prevent Barbara from trapping her foot again. That the bed rail risk assessment was not re-looked at after or indeed assessed at that stage.”

On November 17, Mrs Humphreys’ foot was found to have “deteriorated and the colour had changed and got much darker” after it was trapped between the bed rail and mattress again.

She was taken to Bronglais Hospital where her leg below the shin was found to be cold with no pulse.

Richard Shepherd, representing the care home, said that since Mrs Humphreys’ death, up to 14 beds have been replaced and the use of bed rails are being monitored by staff on a weekly and monthly basis. The care home group had acknowledged that the bed rails were “not up to scratch” and that the group had “travelled a long way very quickly”. The bed rails have since been independently checked and were found to be “safe and good”.

Mr Boyes concluded the inquest by offering his condolences to Mrs Humphreys’ family.