AN elderly patient at Warrington Hospital suffered a heart attack and died, the day after falling and fracturing her leg while being looked after on an under-staffed ward, an inquest heard.

Lillian Tomes, aged 84, of Holes Lane in Woolston, had been admitted to hospital in a weakened state due to ongoing bowel problems, as a result of her undergoing treatment for bowel cancer 14 years ago.

An inquest at Warrington Coroner's Court last Thursday heard that Mrs Tomes, who was very confused at times during her stay in hospital, had been put into a bed with sides on to prevent her from falling out.

She got up from the chair next to her bed to go to the toilet and managed to walk to the end of the bed before falling and sustaining the fracture.

There was a staff nurse and carer on duty, looking after 12 patients on the ward at that time, but when the fall happened, four staff came to Mrs Tomes' aid and got her back into bed.

The fracture was operated on, but the next day, February 26, Mrs Tomes had a heart attack and died.

A post mortem examination found that she had extensive heart disease.

Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said: "It seems this could have happened at any time, but knowing the circumstances of the fall and the fracture, the strain of that probably brought it on."

He recorded a verdict of accidental death, and expressed his hope for extra nursing staff to be found for the hospital.