Pensioner probably did not get proper treatment - coroner

Records detailing a pensioner's care were patchy and he was probably not given the treatment required before he died, a coroner concluded.

Patrick Coffey, who was 85, died at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough in September 2024, 17 days after a fall at home. He had spent about 17 hours on the floor following that.

He contracted a chest infection, for which effective pain relief "was not always offered or achieved" and medical records were incomplete, Berkshire's assistant coroner found.

Frimley Health NHS Trust was approached to comment.

Robert Simpson, Berkshire's assistant coroner, was told that because of his condition, Mr Coffey should have been repositioned from a seated position every two to four hours.

The seated position would have allowed him to breathe more deeply and cough more effectively, important when treating chest infections.

But the hospital told Mr Simpson that, following random monthly audits, "this was either not being done or not being properly recorded".

Mr Simpson found that Mr Coffey's medical records had multiple gaps, one of up to 27 hours, between 15 September to 27 September.

He found Mr Coffey was "probably not repositioned as required".

Mr Simpson issued a prevention of future deaths report following Mr Coffey's inquest earlier this month.

The NHS Trust must respond to his concerns by September.

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