Woman died after falling down stairs on 60th birthday

A Fleet resident died after falling down stairs on her 60th birthday.

Angel Fox had been looking forward to seeing her children and made the descent of the steep staircase unaccompanied, which was not the norm because of her “bad legs”, an inquest heard today (Wednesday).

The fall was not witnessed but her husband, Chris, told the hearing in Lincoln that she may have been going down backwards and he believed she was close to the bottom when she fell.

It happened at their home in Hocklesgate at about 3pm on October 7, 2021.

Mrs Fox hit the back of her head, causing a fracture to the skull.

She was initially taken to Peterborough City Hospital and, after early investigations failed to diagnose the issue, a CT scan picked up the fracture and brain bleed.

Mrs Fox, who was described by her GP as “quite a vulnerable lady and quite frail”, was transferred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

There she underwent monitoring and was given antiobiotics after picking up a chest infection.

Reading evidence from the hospital, assistant coroner Paul Cooper said Mrs Fox’s condition improved but soon began to decline significantly and her husband was told that the prognosis was not good.

“All reversible factors had been addressed, which basically means there was nothing more they could have done for her,” said Mr Cooper.

An end of life care process began and, at the family’s request, Mrs Fox was transferred nearer to home.

She died in Thorpe Hall Hospice at Peterborough on December 4, 2021.

Mr Cooper said it seemed like Mrs Fox had been “enthused” about seeing her children on her birthday and decided to go downstairs alone.

He said it was clear that she and her husband “lived for each other and helped each other out.”

The conclusion was that Mrs Fox’s death was as the result of an accident.