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A mum-of-two tragically died three weeks after tripping on a metal flap outside a hospital, identified as a "trip hazard". Lorna Loxton, 55, attended Bristol Royal Infirmary for a cardiology appointment on January 7. The former auxiliary nurse was walking to a taxi when her three-wheeled walking frame is believed to have become lodged in a metal flap covering a bollard. She tripped, breaking her hip and hitting her head on the ground. Ms Loxton underwent surgery on her hip, but her condition deteriorated and she sadly died in hospital on January 28. Ms Loxton's cause of death is yet to be formally established, and an inquest will take place on a date to be fixed. Her daughter, Danni, 30, and son, Mark, 35, have paid tribute to their "beloved" mother, who had myotonic dystrophy, a condition that causes muscle weakness, Birmingham Live reports. Danni, an entertainment manager, said: "She couldn’t work for a lot of years because of her illness, some days she couldn’t even get out of bed, but she did the very best she could. "When she would come and see my shows, she was so proud of me. I will always remember how much she loved me and Mark, and how proud she was of him too for being so independent even though he has the same condition she did. "Mum loved her music - JLS, for some reason, and ’80s music - and she watched all the soaps, particularly the Australian ones, and Western films. I would speak to her all the time and she lived her life as best she could. The way we lost her has been absolutely traumatic." Ms Loxton's family is being supported by law firm Slater and Gordon in their search for answers about her death. Samantha Griffiths, senior associate at Slater and Gordon, said: "This was an absolutely tragic incident and has left Danni and Mark absolutely devastated – not just with the loss of their beloved mother, but particularly the manner in which it happened. "Hospitals should be one of the safest possible environments for people with mobility problems who use mobility aids, but this has been far from the case in Lorna’s situation. We will support Lorna’s family in every way possible to get the answers they need and deserve around her death." A report from University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust found that bollard posts were not being monitored by the estates and facilities team at the time of Ms Loxton's death, Slater and Gordon said. The report stated that the angle of the metal flap was a "trip hazard", the law firm added. A spokesperson for University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust said: "We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to Lorna’s family. We are committed to working with the coroner and are unable to comment further while the inquest process is under way." This is a breaking news story. Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.
