AN inquest has opened into the death of a retired Army officer, who died two days after falling from a hospital bed.
York coroner Donald Coverdale opened the hearing into the death of 91-year-old Major Harold Ernest Lewis, of Dunnington, York.
He was being cared for at York District Hospital for several weeks after suffering a stroke at his daughter's home at Easter.
He was said to have fallen from his hospital bed in the early hours of last Wednesday, suffering a head injury and a fractured hip. He died last Friday.
Mr Coverdale noted that the cause of death was given by Dr Christine Bates as broncho-pneumonia, caused by immobilisation.
This, in turn, was caused by a fracture of the neck of his femur.
Contributory factors included a stroke and cerebral infarction, the post-mortem examination revealed.
Major Lewis's family have called for a full inquiry into his death.
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