A retired nursery teacher died after suffering a backwards fall in a private hospital while recovering from a knee replacement operation, an inquest has heard.

Tamsin Woolsey-Brown, known as Tam, died in June last year at the age of 78. She died the day after she suffered a fall at the Spire Hospital in Colney. 

At inquest into her death is being held at Norfolk Coroner's Court this week and is scheduled to last three days.

During the first day of the hearing the court was told Mrs Woolsey-Brown had gone into the private hospital on June 1 to undergo a knee replacement, an operation she had been looking forward to receiving.

However, the next evening she fell backwards while being escorted to the toilet by a nurse. 

She was initially helped back into bed but her condition later deteriorated and she died the next day, after being transferred to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The court heard that on June 2 she was assessed by a physiotherapist, Julia Brudenell, who observed her walking with a Zimmer frame in her hospital room.

Mrs Woolsey-Brown told the physiotherapist that the short walk had made her feel light-headed.

Mrs Brundenell told the court she recorded the patient as being at an 'amber' risk of falls, recommending she be accompanied by two members of staff when using her frame. She had also been using a commode throughout the day.

However, Evelyn Sibley, a nurse who cared for her later that evening, said she was not informed of Mrs Woolsey-Brown's earlier light-headedness.

At around 10pm that evening the nurse accompanied Mrs Woolsey-Brown to the toilet, with the patient having told her she was feeling fine and had been moving comfortably.

But Ms Sibley said that when she turned around from retrieving a raised toilet seat for her to use, Mrs Woolsey-Brown was on the floor having fallen backwards.

The inquest continues.