A 79-YEAR-OLD Stourbridge woman died an accidental death after she fell in the kitchen and fractured her hip, an inquest was told.

Christine Ward, who lived in Maple Close with her daughter, passed away at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley after undergoing surgery for the hip fracture which she sustained when she slipped at home while her daughter was visiting the GP.

Mrs Ward, a retired sales assistant who was born in Rowley Regis, had been poorly with a chest infection in the lead up to the fall - Black Country coroner Zafar Siddique told the hearing at Black Country Coroner's Court in Oldbury.

He said: "It appears she slipped, complaining of back and chest pain."

Mrs Ward was taken to hospital on April 27 and subsequently underwent surgery but her condition declined rapidly and she developed respiratory failure and passed away on April 29.

The coroner said she died from respiratory failure due to the surgery to fix the right hip fracture which was due to the fall; with lung conditions bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis contributing.

Mr Siddique offered his condolences to Mrs Ward's family and friends and he said: "Given the circumstances of the fall and the fracture and the complications I'm going to conclude that the late Mrs Ward died by way of accidental death."