Patient died in trolley fall

An unattended Stafford Hospital patient died after falling from a trolley and striking his head, an inquest heard.

Christopher Woolley, aged 58, of Dugdale Close, Wimblebury, Cannock Chase, was pronounced dead on April 30 last year.

He suffered a fractured skull and blood on the brain following the fall. But an inquest jury in Stafford heard his death could have been prevented had he been risk assessed on arrival.

Dr Ivan Phair, a consultant in the hospital's accident and emergency department, told the court: "Despite his documented confusion and anxiety he may have been prevented from falling off the trolley and falling to the floor had he been placed in the resuscitation unit.

"It is with great regret that I feel the unfortunate death could have been prevented had this care been delivered to him."

He said there were no spare beds in the resuscitation unit, but closer monitoring by nursing staff could have prevented the fall.

A system of risk assessment has been introduced at the hospital as a result, and a new bed which sits lower to the ground has been purchased for at-risk patients.

The inquest heard Mr Woolley had arrived at the hospital by ambulance on April 29 and had been booked in at 9.17pm.

Medical staff said he had been anxious and disorientated on arrival, which Dr Phair said was due to low oxygen levels in his bloodstream.

Mr Woolley was put on a trolley with the side rails raised by nurses and left alone for "at most a couple of minutes" at around 10.30pm during which time he fell to the floor and struck his head.

A brain scan carried out at 2.30am revealed a large amount of blood on the brain and doctors decided not to resuscitate him.

Mr Woolley was declared dead at 11.37am.

Summing up, South Staffordshire coroner Mr Andrew Haigh said: "The indication is that this was a fatal injury. The likelihood is that even if he had been scanned or treated straight away it is unlikely he would have survived this injury."

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Mr Haigh said he would be writing to the hospital to ensure the risk assessment system had been properly implemented.