A FORMAL inquest is to be held to investigate the circumstances of the death of a woman in a care home.

Avril Dixon, 87, was found dead shortly after being given a breakfast of porridge at Aldingham Nursing Home on June 22, 2020, according to a pre-inquest review held at Cockermouth Coroner's Court.

Area Coroner for Cumbria Ms Kirsty Gomersal presided over the review, which allows discussion with interested parties on who will be called to give evidence and why, along with general case management, prior to setting the date of the inquest itself.

Mrs Dixon, from Ulverston, was transferred to the care home from a hospital on June 15, 2020, where she had been suffering from an oesophageal stricture (an abnormal narrowing or tightening of the oesophagus), which causes difficulties with eating and drinking, the inquest heard.

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Mrs Dixon's son Andrew Dixon was present at the hearing and Ms Gomersal confirmed that he had laid out several concerns about his mother's treatment in hospital in a letter 'particularly about previous incidents where your mum was being fed, and she wasn't able to swallow the food'.

Mr Dixon had also raised concerns that the care home had not been provided with sufficient information about his mother's swallowing problems.

Ms Gomersal explained that for the purposes of the inquest, which is to determine, on the balance of probabilities, what had directly caused the death of Mrs Dixon, she is proposing to only look at events from June 15, 2020, when Mrs Dixon was admitted to the care home.

To that end Ms Gomersal told those assembled at the hearing that she proposed to call four witnesses, one being Dr Keating of University Hopsitals of Morecambe Bay Trust (UHMBT).

He will be asked why she was discharged from hospital to the care home,  what the home was told about Mrs Dixon's condition, if any alternative methods of feeding would have been available, and how long food can generally sit above a stricture.

Ms Gomersal will also call three members of care home staff, including the manager Ms Ryan, and the nurse who fed Mrs Dixon at breakfast time, who together saw Mrs Dixon between the time that she was given her breakfast porridge, and when she was found dead a short time later.

Ms Gomersal requested from the care home a beaker of the type that would have been used by the nurse to feed Mrs Dixon, any additional feeding equipment that would have been available to her, such as a tube or a spoon, and a sample of the porridge so that the nurse can demonstrate how Mrs Dixon was fed that morning.

She has also requested training records from the nursing home.

The hearing heard that Mr Dixon may be called to give evidence but only if the coroner finds it 'absolutely necessary'.