A Bourne End care home resident who was taken to A&E after a fall tested positive for Covid-19 and died days later, an inquest has heard.

George O’Rourke, who suffered with a string of health issues including dementia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lived at Chilterns Manor Care Home and was known to be at risk of falls.

On January 5 this year, the 88-year-old, who would often forget to use his walking stick or frame and had fallen over on three previous occasions in 2020, took a tumble after getting up out of his chair while a staff member had her back turned.

The widower was checked over thoroughly by care home manager Taryn McGovern after the emergency alarm was sounded at around 11.10am and he was helped back to his feet and then back into his chair, where he sat for lunch and then a cup of tea.

That afternoon, his step-son Terrence visited and told staff George was complaining of pain in his left leg.

An inquest on Tuesday, March 30, heard in a statement from Ms McGovern that George was checked over again and she decided to call 999 at around 2.45pm.

George’s injury was not deemed to be an emergency, so paramedics did not get to him at the Northern Heights care home until around 10.30pm that night.

They suspected he had a neck of femur fracture and took him to A&E at Wexham Park Hospital.

Despite previous Covid-19 tests taken at the care home suggesting George did not have the deadly virus, a further test on admission to the hospital revealed he did have Covid pneumonitis.

The inquest was told there had been an outbreak of Covid-19 at Chilterns Manor, but due to his dementia, it was impossible to get George to self-isolate - so he would spend time in the lounge with other residents who similarly could not isolate.

Dr Anna Facchini, orthogeriatric consultant at Wexham Park Hospital, said after testing positive for Covid-19, George needed oxygen and was drowsy and “unable to engage” but despite his multiple health conditions and frailty, he was deemed fit enough for surgery to repair his fracture which was causing him huge pain.

But tragically, despite a successful surgery, George never fully recovered and his blood pressure dropped after.

It was decided that George was not a candidate for intubation or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy (CPAP), a Covid-19 treatment that uses mild air pressure to keep the airways open, so he was given end-of-life care and was made comfortable.

He passed away at Wexham Park on January 8. His cause of death was recorded as Covid-19 pneumonitis, neck of femur fracture (operated) and frailty.

George’s step-son Terrence, who was at the inquest hearing, said his step-father had seemed to be okay when he last saw him and wished he had not gone home so he could have been with him when he passed later the same day.

Assistant coroner for Buckinghamshire, Alison McCormick, said he should not blame himself for not being there.

She said: “People in George’s state can deteriorate very quickly and Covid-19 can take people very quickly. Do not reproach yourself, you were obviously there for him.”

She concluded that there were both natural and accidental factors at play in his death.