THE son of a Newport pensioner who died after suffering a fall in hospital says he feels “let down” by the care she received after an inquest ruled her death was accidental.

Margaret Violet Kemp, 84, from Bryngwyn Road, was admitted to C6 West at the Royal Gwent Hospital with a chest infection on January 2 last year.

Newport Coroner’s Court heard that, just days later, Mrs Kemp hit her head while getting out of bed to use the commode and died from a brain haemorrhage.

The senior coroner for Gwent David Bowen recorded Mrs Kemp’s death as accidental. Following the verdict, her son, Neville Kemp, confirmed the family now plan to take the matter to the civil court over what he referred to as “negligence” on the part of the hospital.

He said: “I feel really let down by the Royal Gwent Hospital – the care she needed just wasn’t there.”

Mrs Kemp, who was the landlady of Rothesay House for 35 years, required a Zimmer frame to use the commode beside her hospital bed. She was looked after by an experienced healthcare worker who helped her access the commode in the early hours of January 7.

The court heard she got Mrs Kemp to sit up on the bed so the pensioner could then grab hold of her Zimmer frame and make her way to the commode while she stood behind her.

On the first occasion, there were no issues but on the second, at around 12.30am, Mrs Kemp missed the seat and hit her head. Although conscious, she had to be lifted back onto the bed using a safety hoist.

An hour later, Mrs Kemp suffered a nose bleed and was soon coughing up blood. With a low score on the Glasgow Coma Scale, she was taken to the intensive care unit, where she later died.

Pathologist Dr James Harrison carried out a post-mortem examination on January 8 and found the cause of death to be a subdural haemorrhage as a result of a head injury and a cardiac failure secondary to ischemic heart disease and pneumonia.

Summing up, Mr Bowen said: “I’m proposing to write to the health trust to recommend as a precaution they review the braking systems on the commodes. If it had not gone back, it might have prevented the fall.”

After spending 15 minutes considering the evidence, he recorded a verdict of accidental death.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Gwent Hospital said: ‘We wish to extend our deepest condolences to Mrs Kemp’s family for their very sad loss.

"The health board regrets that Mrs Kemp’s fall occurred and the devastating consequences that this had for Mrs Kemp and her family.

"The health board has undertaken a serious incident investigation following Mrs Kemp’s fall as part of our ongoing commitment to patient safety and the provision of safe care"