A coroner has raised concerns after a 90-year-old woman died following a fall at a South West London care home, where she was unable to summon help because she was not wearing an emergency alarm. Joan Murphy died at Deer Park View in Teddington on January 30 this year, two weeks after falling in her bathroom.
Fall and Inability to Call for Help
Melanie Lee, coroner for West London, said that although Ms Murphy managed to shout for help when she fell on January 15, she was not wearing an alarm and could not reach the emergency call bell hanging from her bathroom ceiling. In a Prevention of Future Deaths report, Ms Lee expressed concern that residents at the care home did not have wearable emergency buttons and could not reach bathroom emergency cords from the floor if they fell.
Ms Murphy, who was at high risk of falls, had moved into the care home for respite care after experiencing a series of falls at home over Christmas 2025. The report noted she fell in her bathroom on the morning of January 15 and could not reach the emergency alarm cord. She shouted for help repeatedly and was later taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting, where doctors found she had fractured ribs. She suffered a heart attack and died in hospital on January 30.
Coroner's Findings and Report
An inquest ruled Ms Murphy's death was an accident. The coroner gave her medical cause of death as pneumonia and heart failure, followed by fractures resulting from a fall. In her report, Ms Lee wrote: "Joan managed to shout repeatedly and attract attention but strained her voice and was left hoarse doing so. I presume that the bedroom door as a minimum was a fire door. Another resident may not be able to shout or otherwise summons attention and this could result, for example, in a long lie."
She added: "Joan did not have a pendant/wearable/personable alarm. Despite requests querying this, I did not receive an answer as to why not."
Care Home Response and Improvements
Care UK, which runs Deer Park View, said the home did not have wearable alarms at the time of the incident, although alternative equipment like sensors and call bells were available. The company said the care home had since ordered wearable alarms to ensure they are available for any resident who needs one.
Liam Jennings, Care UK's Regional Director, said: "We again offer our condolences to the family of Mrs Murphy. We pride ourselves on offering kind, safe care to all residents in our homes such that whenever a safety incident occurs, we carry out a thorough investigation to identify any areas of learning within the home. We have already implemented several improvements to prevent this from happening again, including additional risk assessments. This home is currently rated 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission."
