'My mum was left in agony after hospital bed fall'

An 80-year-old woman was left "getting weaker and weaker" for days after she suffered a brain-bleed as a result of falling out of her hospital bed, her daughter says.

Julianne Dix's mother Diane Preece had been waiting to be discharged from Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, after a urine infection when the fall, during which she also broke her hip, left her needing an operation.

Ms Preece, from Hampton, Worcestershire, was not operated on at Worcestershire Royal Hospital until nine days later, despite the recommended gap in such circumstances being just 36 hours, because of rising mortality risk after 48 hours.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust apologised and said a review would be carried out.

After the fall, Ms Preece was found lying on her side on the floor at 01:45, with Ms Dix claiming that because her mother was considered well, she had not been placed where nurses could see her.

The trust accepted falls were a "cause for concern" and said it made every effort to protect patients.

It stressed that rates of falls it experienced were significantly lower than the national average.

Despite the recommended treatment time, Ms Preece had to wait for a bed at Worcester Royal, since the Alexandra does not have an orthopaedic department.

Her daughter said that during this time, her mum was not eating or drinking and was left in agony, confined to a bed.

"She was perfectly healthy and walking her dogs in December, it's awful seeing her like this", she said.

It was not until the BBC contacted the trust that, three hours later, Mrs Preece was finally moved from Redditch to Worcester Royal to undergo surgery.

The hospital trust said its trauma services had been very busy, as was often the case at this time of year.

"Whilst everything possible is done to avoid cancelling or delaying operations, there may be occasions where operational pressures cause a delay", a spokesperson said.

Ms Preece had herself worked for the NHS at Evesham Community Hospital for many years and even nursed her husband to save him going into a hospital, Ms Dix said.

"[But] the one time when she needed the NHS, the care was not there for her", she explained.

"I am feeling angry because you just presume you are safe and well cared for in a hospital, yet it was the complete opposite."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.