YORK HOSPITAL was not to blame for the death of a retired army officer who died two days after falling from his hospital bed, an inquest heard.

Major Harold Lewis, 91, of Cedar Glade, Dunnington, York, was found lying on the floor next to his bed in ward 39 in the early hours of August 7, 2002. But staff failed to realise he had broken his thigh in the fall until six hours later.

Major Lewis, who also suffered a head injury, died in hospital two days later.

But York Coroner Donald Coverdale said he did not think the delay had led to his death.

"I haven't heard any evidence that the eventual death of Mr Lewis was in any way hastened by the time lapse between the fall and the diagnosis of the fractured femur," he said.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.

The inquest heard that Major Lewis, who had served for 30 years in the Royal Engineers, had been fit and healthy until he suffered a stroke and fell down a flight of stairs at his daughter's home in Kent in March 2002.

He was treated in Kent and then transferred to York in June to be near his wife, Eileen.

His son, Peter Lewis, said his father had recovered well from the stroke and they planned to move him to an Eastbourne nursing home. But after he fell out of bed, his condition began to deteriorate.

Staff nurse Julia Boyne found Major Lewis on the floor after she heard a thump from the side room he was staying in. She used a hoist to get him back into bed, treated his head wound, and examined him, but did not find anything wrong with his legs. He indicated to her that he was not in any pain.

His leg injury was not discovered until Sister Cate Nichols gave him a bed bath at about 8am and moved Major Lewis's leg.

The post-mortem examination revealed he died from pneumonia, caused by immobilisation due to the fractured thigh.

Updated: 10:43 Thursday, November 27, 2003