Family talk of relief over inquest verdict (From The Northern Echo)
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Family talk of relief over inquest verdict
1:26pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Stockton News
HAPPY MEMORIES: George Price and his wife, Edna, who has since died, on their 60th wedding anniversary in 2006
A SECOND World War veteran who fell out of a hospital bed at least twice did not die as a direct result of the accidents, an inquest heard.
George Price, a former paratrooper who took part in the Normandy D-Day landings, had a history of falling over and injuring himself as his health began to fail.
The 86-year-old former lance corporal with the 12th (Yorkshire) Parachute Battalion died in the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, in May 2010, nearly two weeks after he was discovered on the floor of his home by his son, who had called to check on his wellbeing.
Teesside Coroner's Court heard that the widower had only been discharged from hospital the day before he was found by his son, on April 21.
He had spent ten days in hospital after a previous fall.
His daughter, Susan Hobbs, told the inquest that she was angry that the staffat the hospital had not informed family members of her father's falls quickly enough.
Two head scans revealed bleeding on the brain, but a decision was taken that it would be too dangerous to operate.
Pathologist Jan Lowe told the family that the bleeding on the brain following the fall was only a contributory factor in Mr Price's death.
Mr Lowe said he had died as a result of pneumonia that had occurred as a result of him suffering a stroke and unconsciousness.
He said there were a number of bleeds on the surface of the brain caused by falls but they were a secondary factor in Mr Price's death.
After the hearing, Mrs Hobbs said: "I'm relieved to finally know what happened to my father and we can start to put it all behind us.
"We were angry that we were not told about the falls when they happened, but relieved that they did not cause his death."
Mr Price, a former Stockton Borough Council worker and bus driver, returned to France for the 60th D-Day anniversary commemorations in 2004.
His funeral, with full military honours, was at Teesside Crematorium, withmany representatives from the Parachute Regiment and standard bearers present from all over the North-East.
Teesside coroner Michael Sheffield recorded a verdict of accidental death.
