HOSPITAL staff were rapped by a coroner over the death of a frail cancer patient who fell in a shower while she was left unsupervised for at least 25 minutes.
The family of terminally-ill Lydia Skipper, 85, also criticised nurses at South Tyneside District Hospital during an inquest which led to promises from health chiefs that the issues would be addressed.
The hearing at South Tyneside County Court wa
s told that Mrs Skipper, of Durham Drive, Jarrow, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, which spread to her liver and bones.
She fell on October 26 last year and suffered a serious head injury which caused bleeding in the brain. She was transferred to Newcastle General Hospital but the neurosurgeon decided not to operate and she was sent back to South Tyneside on November 6.
She died on November 13 - 18 days after the fall - and a post mortem examination showed the cause was bronchial pneumonia, due to the spread of cancer and the haemorrhage in the brain, said pathologist Dr Jennifer Hamilton.
Coroner Terence Carney, recording a narrative verdict, described the hospital's system for assessing patients at risk of falling as "flawed."
He said: "What troubles me more is that this elderly lady was taken into a shower and she was there for an indefinite period of time.
"I guess it was no less than 25 minutes before staff were alerted by a buzzer and went looking for her.
"It may be a measure of anxiety and concern to her family and it should be a matter of concern to the Trust who had her in their care that day.
"I believe she should have had more effective supervision on that day.
"It wasn't done and in my view that caused the fall which ultimately cut short her life."
The hearing was told that Mrs Skipper was assessed by hospital staff as "low risk" of falling.
She was described by nurses as independent who went to the toilet on her own with the aid of a walking frame.
On the day of her fall a nurse took her to a shower in a wheelchair, made sure she was comfortable, checked 10 minutes later that she was OK and then went on her break after alerting a colleague.
When she returned 15 minutes she saw colleagues taking Mrs Skipper back to her bed after the fall.
Mrs Skipper's daughter, Katriona Lucas, told the nurses: " There was no way she should have been left that amount of time. You knew she was in pain and had mobility problems. She was very, very unsteady; she shook like a leaf."
After the inquest, a spokesman for the South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust said: "We have previously responded to the family and offered sincere apologies in respect of their concerns about Mrs Skipper's care and we again offer heartfelt apologies for any failings identified by the coroner.
"We have listened carefully to the coroner's findings and will act upon them to review any procedures as necessary."
