THE family of an elderly woman raised serious concerns over her care at a Bradford nursing home, an inquest has heard.

Bradford free thinker and campaigner Rita Corina died aged 84 only three weeks after being released from hospital with septicaemia and a chest infection.

She also had a 6cm by 7cm grade four sacral pressure sore on her lower back which was deep down to her bone, and developed in the final weeks of her life.

She was described as very fragile and suffered from Parkinson's Disease, dementia, heart disease and Type Two diabetes.

Mrs Corina transferred from Westwood Park Community Hospital, Swift Drive, Bradford, to Well Springs Nursing Home on November 28, 2012.

But her children, Sheri Wolfenden and Alex Corina, raised concerns over their mother's level of care at the home in Leylands Lane, Heaton, writing to its bosses.

The letter, read out during the opening day of the inquest yesterday, said Mrs Corina had complained to her family about an "intense pain" in her bottom.

The family also noted she was locked in her own room on one occasion and did not have a call bell in her room.

The letter said: "We felt our concerns were not taken seriously."

They also complained Mrs Corina was given a hot drink in a cup without a lid, posing a danger with her Parkinson's Disease.

But this point was dismissed by Catherine Davis, Well Springs manager, who was giving evidence.

She said: "She would not have been left to take that drink herself."

Mrs Davis added the home examines residents for pressure sores every day. She said on one occasion Mrs Corina was locked in her room by an "overzealous" staff member as residents with dementia were going into other people's rooms.

She said: "Mrs Corina never intimated to myself or my staff that she had a sore bottom."

Mrs Corina was admitted to Bradford Royal Infirmary on January 8, 2013, and was discharged on February 15, 2013. She was transferred back to Westwood Park Community Hospital, where she died on March 8, 2013.

The medical cause of Mrs Corina's death was old age.

Dr Richard Shepherd, who carried out the second post-mortem examination on Mrs Corina, told the inquest: "The pressure sore was clean and not infected, but it was not the direct cause of her death.

"Her death was a relatively slow decline from mid February, 2013, to the start of March, 2013."

Mrs Corina was a member of the Free Thought and Secular Society, was active in the peace movement in the 1950s and 60s and was a founder member of Bradford's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

The hearing continues.