The Isle of Wight Coroner has slammed the Isle of Wight NHS Trust over the "preventable" death of an elderly Lake woman.

Joan Mary Shephard, of Bayview Court, Sandown Road, died at Mountbatten hospice on June 25, 2018.

An inquest on Friday heard how her death was contributed to "systematic neglect" within the NHS Trust.

Coroner Caroline Sumeray said Mrs Shephard's health deteriorated over a period of time, and the "system let her down".

At one point, she was discharged from St Mary's Hospital when she should not have been, Mrs Sumeray said.

A serious investigation was carried out by the trust in the wake of Mrs Shephard's death, and a complaint was submitted by the family.

Although Mrs Sumeray acknowledged that the trust was in special measures at the time and said improvements had since been made, she said the "system had let her down".

She said: "She wasn't seen when she should've been seen the first time there was a request for her to be seen.

"She was sent home and shouldn't have been sent home. She wasn't seen for five days. Finally, she is back in and by that stage she hasn't been eating or drinking for a while.

"She hasn't got much weight to lose."

Isle of Wight County Press:

She added: "In relation to things which are so easily preventable and such silly things that would have prolonged her life for more than a few days or hours.

"I can say on the balance of probabilities that there was a systemic failure at the time."

The inquest heard how a seven-point action plan had since been implemented.

Dr Alexis Bowers, a medical consultant at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, said: "I think there were lots of issues at the time which all came together to contribute to why this happened and the way this happened."