By James Johnson

Last updated at 16:16, Friday, 13 July 2012

A coroner has ruled that a man’s death after falling in a hospital was an accident.

Herbert William Metcalfe, 89, was a patient at Wigton Hospital on November 9, 2010, when he fell after lapsing into unconsciousness.

After the fall Mr Metcalfe, who lived in Allonby, was transferred to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle where he was given a pacemaker to correct heart problems.

But on November 17, 2010, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died.

A post mortem was carried out shortly afterwards and it was found that Mr Metcalfe was also suffering from a subdural haematoma, a type of bleeding on the brain.

It was questioned at the inquest whether this condition should have been diagnosed before Mr Metcalfe’s death.

David Roberts, coroner for north and west Cumbria, said: “I am entirely satisfied that there was no systematic failure in the way this gentleman was treated in either of these two hospitals.

“There was no indication of any significant brain injury and there was nothing to suggest he needed a CT scan.”

Mr Metcalfe was born in Allonby on July 23, 1921, and was one of four children.

He worked at Workington steel works for the majority of his career and did not marry or have children.

Keith Thompson, Mr Metcalfe’s nephew, paid tribute his uncle, who lived in Allonby for almost all of his life.

He described Metcalfe as a strongly independent man, and said: “He was a happy-go-lucky chap and helped us to do up two houses.

“He made things in his workshop and didn’t want to be sitting about.”

First published at 14:06, Friday, 13 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk