A 68-YEAR-OLD woman who was on anti-clotting drugs bled to death after slashing her wrists with a carving knife, an inquest was told.

The inquest heard that Doreen Benko had only been released from hospital 10 days earlier and had appeared "fine" when she went home.

But her daughter, Julie Cross, told how her mother's mental health deteriorated rapidly.

"She rapidly went down hill," said Mrs Cross. "Even in the first few days the change in her was remarkable. She became very anxious and she couldn't function on a day to day basis. She was very depressed and very anxious all the time."

The inquest heard that Mrs Benko, of Parklands Way, Livesey, Blackburn, had experienced mental health problems 10 years prior to her death and had spent some time in Queens Park Hospital.

Her GP, Dr Sajila Clarkson, said that Mrs Benko had come to see her after a spell in hospital where a CT scan had revealed osteo- arthritis. She said Mrs Benko and her husband, Joseph, were both concerned about the management of her treatment in hospital.

"She had been in hospital for quite a while before any real investigations could be done and they didn't really answer the questions they were asking," said Dr Clarkson.

Mrs Benko was started on a course on anti-depressants and anti-clotting drugs for a blood condition but was found dead at her home just three days later.

A post-mortem examination revealed seven slash wounds to Mrs Benko's abdomen and wrists. A verdict of suicide was recorded.