A Stafford pensioner died in hospital after taking an overdose of paracetamol there, an inquest has heard. But South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh said he could not be certain Gillian Dodd had meant to take her life. Miss Dodd, 71, who had long term mobility problems, was admitted to Stafford Hospital at the beginning of May last year after her sister Patricia Baugh found her collapsed on the floor of her Beaconside Close home. She died on Ward 12 on May 10. The court heard evidence from Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust consultant Dr Anthony Oakey who treated Miss Dodd in hospital. He said on admission she was pale, frail and emaciated, and had swelling to both legs. “She was so much in pain that the first priority was to control the pain,” he told the coroner. She was prescribed paracetamol and was given two tablets four times daily. Due to her level of pain, Miss Dodd was allowed to have additional paracetamol. She was also given morphine tablets. Dr Oakey said she was not always monitored by nursing staff when she took the paracetamol. Around three days after admission, on May 6, Miss Dodd began to feel unwell. High levels of paracetamol, up to four times greater than a normal dose, were found in her blood. There had been no trace of the drug on admission. She died four days later. Dr Oakey said it was likely she had saved up most of the tablets and overdosed on May 6. He added: “She was a very ill lady. I think we tried to do what she wanted, which was to relieve her pain and make her comfortable.” Pathologist Dr Paul Hiley said the causes of death were bronchial pneumonia and acute liver failure due to liver damage caused by paracetamol poisoning. The coroner heard Miss Dodd had been seen by social services several times between January and April 2009 due to her increasing immobility. Plans had been drawn up to install hand rails and other aids in her home. However, her sister Patricia Baugh had concerns about social services and told the coroner: “They were more concerned with hand rails and getting her out of the place when she was immobile. They had not assessed what was really wrong with her.” Andrew Haigh said although Miss Dodd had been taking Prozac for depression he was not convinced beyond reasonable doubt that she had intended to commit suicide. He recorded a verdict of self administered overdose of paracetamol. | 
