A FAMILY man’s death from a brain haemorrhage was caused by a fall he had in the Royal Gwent Hospital two weeks earlier, Newport Coroners Court has ruled.

57-year-old diabetic James Band, known as Jimmy to his family and friends, was admitted to the Newport hospital in November last year with a kidney infection.

On Tuesday, [November 11] an inquest heard how in December last year, just five days before he was due to be discharged from hospital, Mr Band slipped and fell while using the disabled toilet.

In evidence given to the inquest by staff at the hospital, the keen golfer was found on the floor of the toilet but told nurses he felt no pain and denied hitting his head.

On the day he was due to return to his home in Gelligaer, Mr Band’s condition deteriorated and he was transferred to Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, where a brain scan revealed he had an inoperable brain haemorrhage.

Coroner David Bowen ruled Mr Band’s death was accidental. He said: “Mr Band was an independent man who didn’t make a fuss and who was always willing to help others.

“He remained independently mobile and when not receiving treatment, went off the ward to visit a hospital café, to run errands, buy newspapers and things for other patients.

“I’m satisfied that this haemorrhage was consistent as having been sustained with the fall or slip which happened in the toilet on 8 December 8.

“Before the CT scan, there had been nothing to indicate Mr Band had struck his head. I’m satisfied the fall was unintended and unforeseeable.”

After the inquest, Mr Band’s wife said: “Jim should still be here.”

Brigitte Read, manager of the ward at the Royal Gwent where Mr Band was a patient, said: “Mr Band wore shoes, Crocs that had no strap.

“He would just kick his feet into them.

“After his fall, there was nothing untoward. It seemed at the time to be just a minor incident.”

The court also heard from Mr Band’s stepson, Edward Paul Evans who said the family were not informed about his stepfather’s fall.

He said: “We weren’t informed about the fall and neither was Nevill Hall Hospital.”