A grieving family is contemplating legal action over the “appalling” treatment their elderly mother received after she developed acute bedsores in hospital.

King George Hospital, Barley Lane, Goodmayes, was treating 86-year-old Rosina Casey, of Dagenham, when she died of a blood infection thought to have been triggered by the recurring lesions that she became afflicted with in the ward.

Her family allege that hospital staff took blood samples from her groin despite her cries of pain and failed to notify a care home that she was at “high risk” of developing sores after being released from the hospital.

Rosina’s son John, 63, said: “My mother’s treatment while she was at King George Hospital can only be described as, at times, inhumane.

“She suffered from Alzheimer’s, so found it very difficult to communicate with the medical staff, but there was complete disregard for her welfare and her cries of pain were all too often ignored.”

Hospital chief executive Averil Dongworth has apologised to the Caseys, admitting that “poor care” had caused their mother to develop bedsores.

She said: “I offer my sincere apologies to Mrs Casey’s family for the poor care provided, which resulted in her sustaining pressure sores.

“Since this time, there has been a great deal of work carried out to improve care and treatment to reduce the incidence of pressure sores and the trust has a zero-tolerance policy on unavoidable pressure sores.”

The Casey family’s firm of solicitors, Russell Jones & Walker, have branded Mrs Casey’s treatment “appalling”, adding that Barking and Dagenham Council’s safeguarding adults board concluded last year that the sores probably contributed to the blood infection that killed her on June 25, 2009.

A spokesman for Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust added: “The case is ongoing so, in the circumstances, it would be inappropriate for the trust to make any further comment at this time.”