A coroner praised the efforts of a woman who battled in vain to prevent her elderly step-mother from choking to death.

Yvette Creagan, 84, became distressed while she was having lunch at her Bollington home with step-daughter Rosalind Bradburn.

Mrs Bradburn tried to dislodge the obstruction before calling Mrs Creagan’s GP Peter Wilson, who was busy with another patient.

Dr Wilson called back and then rang for an ambulance – but the call was not rated as an emergency.

When Mrs Creagan’s condition deteriorated Mrs Bradburn called 999 and the situation was upgraded to an immediate threat to life.

Mrs Bradburn began CPR but there was a further delay when paramedics struggled to locate the property.

By the time they arrived it was too late.

An inquest at Macclesfield Town Hall concluded Mrs Creagan’s death was accidental.

Jean Harkin, assistant coroner for Cheshire, praised Mrs Bradburn’s attempts to save her step-mother.

She said: “It must have been a terrible shock for you and you should be commended for your actions. Yvette had a choking incident at home and as time passed she deteriorated.

“Prior to that Mrs Bradburn called the GP and was told he couldn’t visit for a couple of hours.

“An ambulance was called and was rated ‘green one’ - not an immediate emergency.

“While she was waiting for it to arrive she deteriorated so much she called the ambulance herself and was told to commence CPR. Sadly she could not be saved.”

The inquest heard that Yvette worked as an English teacher before becoming a housewife.

She was married to the late James ‘Cyril’ Creagan, a surgeon.

Her son Neville described his mother as ‘bookish and intellectual’, an avid reader who loved cultural trips abroad.

She played the piano and taught Latin at the University of the Third Age.

The inquest heard that Yvette suffered a major stroke in May 2016 but continued to live alone with the assistance of carers.

Mrs Bradburn said Yvette sometimes had trouble swallowing when she ate but would normally settle.

St John's Ambulance - What to do if someone is choking:

Click here for a full video of what to do if someone is choking.

If you think someone is choking, ask them: ‘Are you choking?’ to check they’re not suffering from something else. Can they speak, cry, cough or breathe?

If they can, they should be able to clear their throat on their own by coughing, so encourage them to cough.

If they can’t cough or make any noise, it’s serious.

Help clear their throat with these three steps.

Step 1 of 4: Cough it out

  • Encourage them to cough. If this doesn't clear the obstruction, support their upper body with one hand and help them lean forward.

Step 2 of 4: Slap it out

  • If coughing doesn’t work, help the casualty bend forward.
  • Use the heel of your hand to give up to five sharp back blows between their shoulder blades.
  • Check their mouth to see if there’s anything in there and, if there is, get them to pick it out.

Step 3 of 4: Squeeze it out

  • If back blows don’t work, give up to five abdominal thrusts. Stand behind them.
  • Link your hands between their tummy button and the bottom of their chest, with your lower hand clenched in a fist.
  • Pull sharply inwards and upwards.

Step 4 of 4: Call for help

If they’re still choking, call 999 or 112 for medical help.

Once you’ve called, continue steps 2 and 3 – back blows and abdominal thrusts – until what’s in there has cleared, help arrives or they become unresponsive.

If they become unresponsive at any stage, open their airway and check their breathing.

If they’re not breathing, start chest compressions and rescue breaths (CPR - cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to try to release whatever’s stuck in there. Follow the instructions for treating someone who’s unresponsive and not breathing.