A SOUTHAMPTON woman stumbled as she went to answer the door to a call from a community nurse.

Muriel Camilleri, 85, tripped and banged her head in the hallway at her home in Downton Road, Midanbury, on October 17.

Partly because she was blocking the doorway it took two hours to get her to Southampton General Hospital where she arrived at around 11am. She passed away that evening at 10.40pm.

The inquest heard a statement from nurse Chloe Beeton, who had gone to the address to take a blood test.

In a statement she said: "I heard her coming to the door and then heard a loud noise. She said she had fallen over and could not get up. I phoned 999."

A paramedic arrived and spoke to Mrs Camilleri through the door, but they had to wait until Mrs Camilleri's granddaughter Kirsty arrived with a key.

The hearing heard that Mrs Camilleri had broken her neck and also suffered asthma which contributed to her death directly caused by respiratory failure

Christopher Wilkinson, senior coroner, said that the time delay in getting Mrs Camilleri to hospital was not significant as the injury was so serious it would have made no difference when she arrived at hospital.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.