AN 89-YEAR-OLD patient at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital died after falling out of bed and hitting his head, an inquest heard today.

Francis Steele died in December 2007 after a fall from his hospital bed which lead to blood clots forming on the front and back of his brain, an inquest in Telford heard today.

The inquest jury was told that Mr Steele had been admitted to the hospital on November 19, 2007 with a chest infection and staff were warned by his son, Reg Steele, that he was in danger of falling out of bed.

Mr Steele’s son had told two nurses on separate occasions that there was only one rail on his father’s bed.

Two days after he was admitted to the hospital, Mr Steele, of Lower Netchwood, Ditton Priors, near Bridgnorth, was found on the floor by the side of his bed. He died on December 6, 2007.

Dr Kenneth Scott, a consultant pathologist from Wolverhampton, told the hearing Mr Steele had bruising on his forehead and blood clots on the front and back of his brain.

Coroner for Telford and Wrekin, Mr John Ellery, asked Dr Scott whether the fall had contributed to Mr Steele’s death.

Dr Scott said: “I think we have to say that the fall, head injury, and the clots were the direct causes of his death. If he had not sustained them he would not have died at that time.”

Mr Steele’s son, a lorry mechanic from Craven Arms, said when he visited his father the day after he was admitted to hospital he had noticed a marked improvement in his condition and was worried he would try to get out of bed.

He said: “I immediately went over and said ‘we must get some bed rails because he is going to fall out of bed’. Without the rails he was in grave danger of falling out.

“That sister was busy doing something but at that moment another nurse came down the corridor and I switched my attention to that nurse and explained my concern. The nurse said ‘don’t worry, we will be monitoring him through the night’. That was the last time I saw him well.”

When he next went to the hospital there was a commotion by his bed and staff had put a patch around his eye.

He added he was furious.

The inquest continues.

By Jason Lavan