Doctors who examined an elderly care home resident thought she may have been the victim of neglect, an inquiry has heard.
Medical experts were concerned about the treatment Jamesina MacKenzie had received when she was admitted to Invergordon County Hospital.
The 87-year-old had been a resident at Wyvis House Care Home in Dingwall before she was admitted to hospital with an infection linked to severe bed sores in May 2009.
During the fifth day of a fatal accident inquiry at Dingwall Sheriff Court, Dr Kim Miller said: "She had an overwhelming infection likely to come from the pressure sores from which she was suffering. She had sepsis and was unable to drink or swallow.
"Her pressure sores were unusually large and I told the family that I would be having discussions with the procurator fiscal after her death.
"Such pressure sores after coming from a care home are very, very unusual in a patient. It was 20 years ago that I last experienced a death due to pressure sores.
"I couldn’t honestly say that that her death was not due to neglect."
A colleague of Dr Miller who examined Miss MacKenzie put a question mark against the word "neglect", the inquiry heard.
Dingwall GP Dr Lindsay Ross disputed the care home's argument that she had been asked to visit Miss MacKenzie but refused.
She said: "I was not aware of any explicit request to visit. If I had been, I would have visited."
The inquiry previously heard that Miss MacKenzie was admitted to hospital with bed sores which were among the worst hospital staff had ever seen.
One was so severe it had decayed the flesh through to the hip-bone.
The inquiry at Dingwall Sheriff Court is expected to go on into next week.
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