A RETIRED hotel worker who had an unwitnessed fall in his residential home died three days later in Torbay Hospital, the opening of an inquest in Torquay heard on Monday.

Coroner’s officer Stephanie Teague told the inquiry that Maurice Atkins, who was 91 and lived in the Lake View Residential Home, South Road, Newton Abbot, may have bumped his head in the fall in his room on October 1.

He had been seen by his GP with no acute concerns, but later that evening Mr Atkins developed a headache and some vomiting.

Paramedics attended and he was admitted to Torbay Hospital. A CT scan was undertaken which showed he had suffered a subdural haematoma and, after discussions with the neurosurgeons at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, Mr Atkins was deemed not for surgical intervention.

Mrs Teague said he had remained in Torbay Hospital where he died on Sunday, October 4.

She added that the medical cause of death had been ascertained as: acute subdural haematoma, and atrial fibrillation on warfarin. There were no suspicious circumstances.

Mr Atkins’ body was identified by the home’s registered manager Sarah Marshall.

Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon coroner Ian Arrow adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed.