Sylvia Philcox, of Matlock Close, Brownsover, said staff at Rugby's Hospital of St. Cross and Coventry's University Hospital had 'shambolically' allowed her diabetic daughter Karen Phillips to die from a cardiac arrest in February.

At an inquest into her death this week, a coroner ruled that staff failed to assess crucial data from blood tests showing Mrs. Phillips had high potassium levels which should have 'rung alarm bells' and led to her cardiac arrest.

Coroner David Sarginson recorded a narrative verdict for her death but said 'a fair amount of neglect' had been shown by staff at both hospitals.

Mrs. Phillips, 38, who had kidney failure and lived with Mrs. Philcox, was transferred from St. Cross to the University Hospital after falling and breaking her hip, causing her potassium levels to rise.

Douglas Wan, then a junior doctor at St. Cross, failed to notice the high potassium levels after blood tests were taken and admitted that had he done so, he would have instructed a specialist kidney team to lower them.

Mrs. Phillips was given morphine and a bed for the night but died hours before a hip operation was due.

Mrs. Philcox now plans to take civil action against Warwickshire Primary Care Trust, which helps run both hospitals.

She said: "It seems no-one is prepared to step up and take any responsibility for my daughter's preventable death. Staff at both hospitals have failed dreadfully with the care of my daughter - the system has failed us.

"I have defended St. Cross especially when it was threatened with closure. But when they make cock-ups like this it makes me wonder why I bothered."

Mrs. Phillips, who was a secretary for JP Lennard at the Swift Valley Industrial Estate, leaves a six-year-old daughter Madison.