Hospital fall death triggers NHS staffing warning

A coroner has warned the government that more deaths could occur unless action is taken to address staff shortages in the NHS after an elderly patient died in hospital following a fall.

Kenneth Morris, 78, twice fell in a ward at Hull Royal Infirmary within a 24-hour period. He died in December 2025 after suffering a fatal head injury following the second fall.

An inquest in April concluded his death was an accident, but a coroner found he should have received one‑to‑one nursing care, which was not provided after the first fall.

NHS Humber Health Partnership (HHP) apologised to Morris's family and said it was "strengthening staffing oversight, enhanced observation and falls risk management".

In a prevention of future deaths report, senior coroner Prof Paul Marks, for Hull and East Yorkshire, urged the Secretary of State for Health to take action "possibly by reviewing funding and staffing numbers within the NHS at large".

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for a comment.

According to his report, Morris had been admitted to the hospital with serious health issues, including sepsis, frailty and malnutrition after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer in October.

He was identified as being at high risk of falling.

After an initial fall, he should have been closely monitored, but did not receive the required level of supervision.

Marks said in his report: "After his first fall, he should have received one to one nursing care and observation and had he done so, he would not have fallen, sustained a traumatic brain injury and died on the 10th December 2025 at Hull Royal Infirmary."

He said the case highlighted wider systemic pressures across the NHS.

"Evidence was heard that had he [Morris] received such care he would not have fallen and died," said the coroner.

"Evidence was also heard that within the Hull Trust and probably throughout the NHS, resources are critically stretched and whilst improvements are being proposed, I believe that the current situation makes it probable that similar deaths will occur."

HHP, which runs the NHS trust that is responsible for the hospital, admitted the "level of support and supervision [Morris] required was not available at the relevant time".

"We fully accept the importance of learning from Mr Morris's death and the concerns raised by the coroner. Safe staffing, enhanced observation and falls prevention remain key patient safety priorities for the trust."

It said it would carry out a review of staffing across the organisation and "an agreed staffing investment plan to strengthen priority inpatient areas and support safer care".

Last week the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said there were continued issues in staffing, including a shortage of nurses and non-registered workers, as well as in the leadership at Hull Royal Infirmary.

The hospital is run by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH), which dropped to the bottom of NHS England's league table of acute trusts in December.

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