Daughter's anger after mother's fall death (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Daughter's anger after mother's fall death

AN open verdict has been recorded on the death of an 82-year-old Cotswold woman who died after suffering a fractured hip that was not initially diagnosed.

Her daughter, who lives in Blockley, is now planning to complain to the authorities about a care home in Northleach.

Cotswold Coroner Lester Maddrell heard how Peggy Shone may have suffered with the broken hip for two weeks after being pushed over by another resident at Northleach Court.

It was 12 days before she was taken to Cheltenham General Hospital. The 82-year-old then underwent surgery but deteriorated after developing a chest infection, treated by antibiotics, which caused colitis.

She was transferred to Bourton's Moore Cottage Hospital but died on June 7 last year. Her daughter, Vicky Millington-Green, said that the care home, run by Blanchworth Care, let her mother down and that she was contacting the Commission for Social Inspection in Gloucester.

Mrs Millington-Green, aged 53, said she was not contacted by the nursing home after her mother suffered the fall and wanted to know why a GP did not check her mother straight away.

Carer Josephine Jacobs told the inquest at Cirencester Magistrates' Court that another resident had pushed Mrs Shone. She followed instructions not to move the pensioner and went to get the manager, who checked for signs of a fracture. Two hours later Mrs Shone was walking again.

Dr Paul Johnson examined Mrs Shone the next day and found she could walk unaided.

Despite another check on March 4, on March 14 she was in pain and unable to put weight on her left leg. An X-ray showed the top of her left femur was fractured.

Dr Johnson said this could be due to an impacted fracture, which did not always show up on x-rays, or a second fall.

Blanchworth Care and the county council's social services department both declined to comment on the case.

Cotswold Coroner Lester Maddrell recorded an open verdict at the inquest on Wednesday last week. He said it was not certain whether the initial fall had fractured the hip or if a subsequent unrelated incident was to blame.