AN elderly Southampton woman died after she slipped while trying to stop her husband from falling, an inquest heard.

Patience Stokes died at Southampton General Hospital on January 12 after she tried to stop her husband from falling down at their home in Norham Avenue, Upper Shirley, the hearing in Winchester was told.

The 91-year-old fractured her hip and her wrist, which caused her to undergo surgery soon after arriving at hospital on January 1.

Despite the operation going well, Mrs Stokes soon began to deteriorate and Neal Jacobs, honorary consultant at Southampton General Hospital, said she may have been too frail for surgery.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, assistant coroner for south Hampshire Sarah Whitby concluded that Mrs Stokes died of multiple organ failure.