Retired Buxton school dinner lady died after falling in hospital, inquest hears

A retired school dinner lady died after suffering broken ribs when she fell twice in hospital, an inquest heard.
The inquest was held at Chesterfield coroners' court.The inquest was held at Chesterfield coroners' court.
The inquest was held at Chesterfield coroners' court.

Lilian Mort passed away in Haddon Hall Care Home in Buxton aged 94.

Before being transferred to the home, Ms Mort spent over a month in Macclesfield District General Hospital where she fell on two separate occasions and sustained rib fractures.

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A jury at Chesterfield coroners’ court ruled that the falls contributed to Ms Mort's death.

Friday's inquest heard Ms Mort was admitted to Macclesfield District General Hospital by her GP on December 1, 2015, as she was in a 'very subdued state' with conditions including dementia.

She fell on a ward on December 15 and three days later it was found she had suffered rib fractures.

Staff nurse Alina Cartwright said: "She got up by herself and then fell.

"This was witnessed by a visitor of another patient.

"I went to her straight away.

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"She didn't complain of any pain and there were no obvious injuries."

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The inquest heard the second fall - in which Ms Mort suffered further rib fractures - happened on January 2, 2016.

Ms Mort fell out of her bed after one of the rails had been lowered to allow her to get to a table to eat food.

Senior nurse Laura Atherton said Ms Mort did not complain of any pain.

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She added a risk assessment was carried out when Ms Mort was admitted to the hospital and she was found to be at 'high risk' of falls.

Ms Mort was discharged from the hospital to Haddon Hall Care Home on January 11 and sadly died on January 24.

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Coroner Peter Nieto said a post-mortem test concluded the primary cause of Ms Mort's death was cardiac disease.

But he added: "The pathologist said that the falls and resulting rib fractures would have had some significance in terms of her death."

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Recording a narrative conclusion setting out the facts, the jury said: "We believe that the primary cause of Ms Mort's death was cardiac disease and lung disease.

"On the balance of probability, we believe it is more likely than not that the medical complications resulting from her falls at Macclesfield hospital on December 15, 2015, and January 2, 2016, contributed to her death."

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