Road traffic accident victim Howard Berkeley's family did not know he was in hospital until almost four days into his medical ordeal.

And the Coroner's inquest into Mr. Berkeley's death also heard on Thursday the three-year delay between the accident and the hearing is due to staffing problems within the Police Service.

But in a new development, anaesthesiologist Elaine Campbell was the only King Edward VII Memorial Hospital doctor to appear before Magistrate Archibald Warner with her own lawyer in the case.

Dr. Campbell's lawyer, Harry Kessaram, interrupted her testimony yesterday to point out recent changes in the Coroner's Act this year which ban the verdict from naming people who were responsible for a death.

Mr. Kessaram said: "Dr. Campbell is here to tell the court what she did in regards of the deceased. There may be an attempt in these proceedings to attribute blame to the hospital or hospital staff.

"If we're going to be suggesting that this witness was at fault in a civil sense and subject to some form of liability, I would be concerned. We're trying to make sure these proceedings are not hijacked.'' Mr. Warner said he had already warned Saul Froomkin who represents Mr.

Berkeley's family.

"These proceedings will not be hijacked,'' he said. "I am aware of the limitations of my powers.

"We're here for the where and when and by what means was the death. In trying to come to a decision it is necessary to hear as much evidence as I think I might need. Obviously I have a discretion.'' Mr. Berkeley, 50, of Serpentine Road, died of head injuries on August 11, 1996 at KEMH after he had originally been diagnosed with a broken leg.

He had smashed into a legally parked car on Cavendish Road, Pembroke on August 6, 1996 and suffered massive brain haemorrhaging three days later.

The investigating officer, Sgt. Donville Yarde said he smelled alcohol on Mr.

Berkeley's breath and said he found out the man had drank alcohol that afternoon in Hamilton and St. George's.

An operation to relieve pressure on the brain failed to stop massive bleeding for Mr. Berkeley who was an alcoholic and had diabetes.

The inquest revolves around the treatment Mr. Berkeley received, particularly whether doctors accounted for a medical condition -- called idiopathicthrombocytopaenia or ITCP -- in which the lack of sufficient red cells hampers blood clotting which heals wounds.

Alcohol abusers who have damaged their livers and people with liver injuries often have ITCP which makes medical treatment tricky and requires constant monitoring.

The inquest had heard doctors would have to be careful with a patient with ITCP because their bodies have a reduced amount of blood platelets.

Mr. Berkeley's blood platelet count had dropped to 14,000 per millilitre of blood. The normal amount is between 150,000 and 400,000.

Yesterday the court heard that while in the Intensive Care Unit, Mr. Berkeley had to be restrained after becoming disoriented from the brain injury.

Dr. Terrance Elliott testified on Wednesday he was "misled with faulty information'' by emergency room staff of Mr. Berkeley's ITCP condition and because of that he did not require the man to undergo a general surgical assessment.

Yesterday, Dr. Campbell admitted she did not remember if she knew Mr. Berkeley suffered from the ITCP condition.

Dr. Campbell testified she was the anaesthesiologist for Mr. Berkeley for a short time on August 7, 1996 and she was also on call for the morning of August 8.

Barbara Jones, who relieved Dr. Campbell, said she knew of Mr. Berkeley's medical history and ITCP condition and felt during the evening shift he had stabilised enough not to warrant a blood platelet infusion.

And she revealed the availability of the volatile blood platelets was dependent on the arrival of KEMH haematologist Keith Cunningham the next morning.

Dr. Jones, while admitting Mr. Berkeley had lost a "huge'' amount of blood during surgery, said despite "lower than average'' haemoglobin and platelet counts it was decided to wait for the results of further tests and platelet availability in the morning.

"I was aware of his low platelet counts and I was also aware that there was no point even asking for platelets for him on a Wednesday evening because the blood donor clinic would open the next morning,'' she said. "It would wait until Dr. Cunningham came in to harvest the platelets.'' During the evening, Dr. Jones gave her patient Fresh Frozen Plasma -- which is devoid of platelets.

"It only became apparent by the next morning that the problem was as bad as it was,'' she said. "I had suspicions as a result of his ongoing conditions, but his condition was not too poor during the night.'' In response to a question by another family lawyer, Juliana Jack, as to why they only found out Mr. Berkeley was in hospital after he had been put on life support, Sgt. Yarde admitted he had "difficulty'' in finding them.

He said: "My reason for taking so long in contacting them is I had difficulty in trying to ascertain who was his family at that time.'' And the veteran Policeman -- again in response to Ms Jack -- said between August 1996 and September 1999 he had transferred from Hamilton Police Station to Somerset and back.

He added: "During that time there was a change of approximately three or four different sergeants and two or three chief inspectors...'' Sgt. Yarde was cut short by Mr. Warner who asked Ms Jack: "Where is this leading? Sergeant, did you finish the investigation?'' In his report to the Police Commissioner after the accident, Sgt. Yarde recommended that parking be banned on the stretch of Cavendish Road, between Spurling Hill and Lane Hill. He found it was a single-vehicle accident.

In a witness statement days later to Sgt. Yarde, emergency medical technician Larry Packwood said: "The deceased told me that he took his eyes off the road and all of a sudden the car was there.'' Mr. Warner adjourned the inquest until October 29 when he will accept written closing submissions. Mr. Warner will then retire to consider his decision for a later date.

At least six members of the Berkeley family have attended the inquest.