BOSSES of a care home which has been heavily criticised by a coroner following the death of an 88-year-old woman have announced new changes.

BOSSES of a care home which has been heavily criticised by a coroner following the death of an 88-year-old woman have announced new changes.

Florence Smith choked on a jam sandwich at Ipswich residential care home Shaftesbury House on May 24 this year. Despite help from staff she became unconscious and died 11 days later at Ipswich Hospital.

An inquest on Monday heard that of the four staff working at the time, only one had basic first aid training, and this did not include knowledge of how to use the potentially life-saving Heimlich manoeuvre.

Greater Suffolk Coroner Dr Peter Dean said he was “astonished” that staff at the Sanctuary Care owned home had still not received further first aid training five months following the incident.

However, Sanctuary Care announced yesterdaythat an advanced first-aider will be available at all times at the home.

Managing Director Steve Wood added: “Sanctuary Care has conducted an immediate internal investigation into all the circumstances of this tragic incident and we will continue to liaise with the coroner directly.”