CORONAVIRUS contributed to the death of a 90-year-old man after he was hospitalised following a fall at his care home in Wordsley.

Retired goods driver Herbert Jeynes passed away on March 24 at Russells Hall Hospital after undergoing an operation for a broken hip - having been admitted to the hospital on March 7.

Mr Jeynes was found to have MRSA after the operation; he also developed pneumonia and tested positive for COVID-19.

Black Country Coroners Court was told at a fast track inquest hearing on March 30 that divorced Mr Jeynes had been living at Hill Croft nursing home in Wordsley High Street after a series of falls at home.

Joanne Lees, area coroner for the Black Country, said: "His family tell me that he was a 90-year-old gentleman who was independently minded and refused assistance and as a result he had recurrent falls at home, resulting in his family arranging for him to reside at a nursing home to care for his is needs.

"He was still reluctant to receive assistance and his daughter stated that staff at the home informed her that on the morning of March 7 Mr Jeynes was found on the floor beside his bed, having apparently fallen getting out of bed.

"They made him as comfortable as possible and called for paramedics."

She gave the cause of death as pneumonia but said this was contributed to by COVID-19, the hip fracture, Parkinsonism (a neurological condition relating to movement) and frailty.

Mrs Lees offered "sincerest condolences" to the family of Mr Jeynes and she said: "On the evidence, on the balance of probability, I record a short narrative conclusion that a fall contributed to a natural cause of death."