A DEVASTATED family is considering legal action against the Royal Bolton Hospital where a woman, aged 76, died after a fall from a wheelchair.

And her son has hit out at an "accidental death" verdict recorded on his mother's death by a Bolton coroner.

Retired teacher, Ivy Chapman, suffered a fatal head injury as she fell from a wheelchair on D4-ward at the hospital last November.

At first, doctors, including Bolton's leading stroke specialist Dr Keathley Adams, believed Mrs Chapman had suffered a stroke causing her to fall.

But conflicting evidence from a post mortem revealed the cause of death was due to head injury. Coroner Martin Coppell said that Mrs Chapman would have felt extreme pain as she stood up from the wheelchair on her way to the X-ray department.

He said: "It is the most likely on the balance of probabilities, that she felt pain on standing and passed out. If that is so, I conclude that it was the blow she received to her head that was the cause of her death. "

Mrs Chapman, aged 76, of Plodder Lane, Farnworth, was admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital with severe leg ulcers and a history of angina and serious heart disease.

Evidence from Dr Adams revealed that he had been worried that she had a possible leg fracture and had instructed Mrs Chapman to be given an X-ray.

Sister Joyce Murphy said that she had never received a complaint from the elderly woman regarding her treatment or care. Sister Murphy told the coroner how she believed Mrs Chapman was fit to go to the X-ray department with a porter without a nurse.

Legal representative for the family, the hospital porter and the Royal Bolton Hospital were present at the inquest.

Son Stephen Wolstencroft described how his mother, who had continued teaching mentally handicapped children part-time until recently, had been unhappy with the level of care from the nurses.

He told the inquest that his mum felt she was being "ignored" and believed she was seen as "a pest". The inquest heard how on November 25 last year, X-ray porter for seven years, Stephen Ellison, had rushed back into the ward alerting staff to the accident shouting: "She has collapsed".

Staff called a "crash team" of doctors led by Dr Adams but she died hours later.

Speaking after the proceedings, Mr Wolstencroft said: "I am very unhappy about the verdict.

"I believe that this accident should not have happened.

"We are considering taking legal action against the hospital."

Robert Talbot, solicitor for the family, added: "I was here today because the family wanted to be sure that no mistakes by the hospital have been made."

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