A NURSE who denies an 88-year-old patient fell from her bed just three days before she died is to be reported to her governing body, an inquest heard on Thursday, August 19.

Louisa Sellwood was admitted to hospital with a broken hip and later suffered a fatal heart attack.

INQUEST: Eltandia Hall care home, where Mrs Sellwood was looked after

The inquest heard that Mrs Sellwood told another nurse, who was taking over from Calista Ebere, that she had "fallen again".

But Ebere claimed Mrs Sellwood had been asleep throughout the night at the Eltandia Hall care centre in Middle Way, Norbury.

She told Westminster Coroner's Court she was not aware of any fall during the night of May 28, before the pensioner was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Ebere, who is from Nigeria, has since left the care home following disciplinary proceedings and manager Philip Hartley told the hearing she would be reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said there were conflicting accounts of what happened in the lead-up to Mrs Sellwood's admittance to hospital.

Ebere told the hearing: "We do a two-hourly check and in those two-hourly checks she was lying in bed.

"I didn't see her out of bed. I was shocked to my bone marrow when I was rung and asked if Louisa had a fall or not, which she didn't."

Martha Matsvai, who took over from Ebere on the day shift at 8am on May 29, said she discovered swelling and bruising on Mrs Sellwood's right thigh and called an ambulance at around 8.30am.

Mrs Sellwood was taken to St George's Hospital, in Tooting, where she died on June 1.

Dr Radcliffe said: "I think I can say with confidence that it is unlikely that Mrs Sellwood would have fallen and not called out for attention.

"However, there's no CCTV, there's no witnesses, all we know is that Mrs Sellwood reported having a fall and was found in bed with a fractured hip.

"We will never know when Mrs Sellwood had her fall, where Mrs Sellwood had her fall, whether it was witnessed or unwitnessed, or whether Mrs Sellwood, against all odds, had her fall, got herself up, got back into bed and went to sleep again."

A verdict of accidental death was recorded.