A COUNCILLOR who was looking forward to returning home after beating cancer died following a fall in hospital, an inquest heard.

Former Barclays executive Peter Haward, 70, of Corfe Mullen, was “counting the days” to his homecoming and was planning a belated 70th birthday celebration with his wife Eve after undergoing two complete courses of chemotherapy for Burkitt’s Lymphoma.

But a fall in Poole Hospital – at least the second he had experienced in a week – put paid to his family’s hopes. As a result he sustained a fatal head injury and died the next day.

The coroner Sherriff Payne ruled his death was an accident. He said there were “lots of maybes” in the case but described Mr Haward as a proud man who resisted some attempts to help him.

“He might not have been able to appreciate how weak he was,” he said. “Sadly he attempted a manoeuvre that was beyond his physical capability at this time and he fell to the floor.

“I think the hospital did try to manage what they could with his care and condition.”

But his devastated family have questioned whether more could have been done to keep him safe. Mrs Haward, of Wickham Drive, Corfe Mullen, said: “It’s tragic that he died not from his cancer or his treatment but from falls.

“Of course he valued his independence and privacy but he told the family he had put himself in the hands of the medical team and had complete faith in them.”

She said she felt let down by “the system.” Records show Mr Haward first fell on August 26 and then again on August 31 but there were also references to two other falls on August 31 that were not officially noted.

Mrs Haward said she was not told her husband had fallen and questioned whether he could have been catheterised, to prevent him having to get up to go to the toilet.

“I was there every day, why was I not included, why was I not consulted?” she asked. “If he hadn’t fallen he would not have died and I just think this fall could have been avoided.”

Hospital matron Andrea Moxham said the hospital had subsequently made improvements to staff training and had a “robust system” in place for assessing patients at risk of falls and reporting any incidents.