Patient died after breaking his neck during eight hour wait in A&E

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A frail pensioner died after falling and breaking his neck during an eight hour wait in A&E, an inquest heard. Kenneth Clayton, who suffered from dementia, was taken to Tameside General Hospital after suffering two falls at home.

But during a 'prolonged wait' for a bed, the 82-year-old had another 'unobserved' fall, in which he fractured his neck. He underwent surgery, but 'developed complications' and died on August 23, 2024.

Now senior coroner Alison Mutch has written to hospital bosses and the chief coroner raising concerns 'that future deaths could occur unless action is taken'.

An inquest at Stockport coroners court heard lengthy waits at Tameside General's A&E department were 'not unusual'. As an example the inquest was told on the morning of the hearing there were patients who had been waiting 40 hours for a bed.