It heard how Mrs May, who was described as a “very frail and petite lady”, had fallen at home on 13 November. It is believed that she had tried to get up from the sofa without her walking stick, lost her balance and fell.
She was taken to the hospital where doctors told her surgery would be needed to repair the neck of her femur. Doctors warned Mrs May that if she didn’t get surgery, she wouldn’t be able to go home or into nursing care and that being bed-bound could lead to complications such as chest infection.
Pictured: The inquest was heard by Dr Martin Barrett at Morier House.
However, due to the 50% chance of survival and her anxiety about anaesthesia, Mrs May was said to have refused the surgery. Her daughters said she did not want to put herself through it due to the risk she might not survive. Her injuries were therefore treated conservatively. Sadly, Mrs May contracted pneumonia and never recovered.
The inquest heard that chest infections are a common complication in cases where patients are bedridden. Due to the position of the patient, they cannot breathe properly and clear out their lungs. This leads to a build-up of fluid in the lungs, which can easily lead to an infection.
Dr Martin Barrett, presiding, concluded that Mrs May’s death had been caused by hospital-acquired pneumonia due to immobilisation. He offered his condolences to her family.