Ms Pamment was described as a ‘rock’ for her family

A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER who collapsed at her sheltered accommodation died after spending all night alone on the floor, a coroner’s report has found.

The family of Elizabeth Pamment say they feel “cheated” after the 81-year-old developed pneumonia and died in hospital following two falls in August last year at her home in Alleyn House, Clerkenwell.

An inquest found that her daughter, Tina Pamment, who lived across the road in Whitecross Street, had given “explicit instructions” that she should be called if her mother fell.

But she was not contacted after the first fall and the coroner’s report concluded that if she had been called, it is “unclear” but “possible” this would have saved her mother’s life.

Tina told the Tribune: “Mum was a rock to everybody. She was the one who held us all together and I miss her every day.

“We feel cheated that she was taken from us for the wrong reasons.”

Elizabeth moved into Alleyn House in 2016. She had a muscle degeneration condition and had recently suffered a heart attack. This meant she walked with a frame inside and used a wheelchair outside.

Tina believed her mother would be “safer” in a sheltered home with a care package and wardens to monitor her.

While Peabody manages Alleyn House, Ms Pamment’s care package was provided by Islington Telecare, a council-commissioned support service who gave her an emergency pendant that would alert them if she was in distress.

Tina said she gave instructions to Peabody staff that if her mother was to fall then she should be called and she could walk over the road to care for her.

However, St Pancras coroner Mary Hassell’s Prevention of Future Deaths report found that “no record” was made by Peabody staff of her “explicit instructions”.

Ms Hassell also found there was “no Peabody protocol” for “recording such an instruction” and no record of what information was then passed to Islington Telecare.

Elizabeth Pamment lived in Clerkenwell with Allan

Elizabeth fell for the first time on August 12 last year and pressed the emergency buzzer tied to her wrist. Islington Telecare staff attended and she was taken back to bed but her daughter was not called. A short time later, she fell again but this time she did not have her emergency pendant to hand.

She was on the floor “alone” and getting “increasingly unwell” until “mid-morning” the following day, the coroner’s report said.

Tina believes her mother was left for up to “11 hours”.

The great-grandmother was rushed to hospital, but medics told relatives they didn’t expect her to survive very long.

She came round a few hours later, but then the “pneumonia set in” and she died three days after.

Ms Hassell later held a coroner’s inquest into the circumstances.

Her findings said that Islington Telecare had not been informed of Tina’s instruction to Peabody staff.

“The Prevention of Future Deaths report is a really good thing to have come out of this. If this stops it happening to somebody else then that’s what it is all about really,” said Ms Pamment. “But I still think there are some unanswered questions there.”

Elizabeth, who was born in Belfast, moved to London at 17. She met painter and decorator Alan when she was a barmaid in her 20s and they settled in Clerkenwell.

Her daughter said: “As a younger woman she was known as a ‘party girl’ who loved to socialise. Later, when her health deteriorated she enjoyed reading, often going through a book a week, and watching the TV.”

Elizabeth is survived by her three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Peabody and Islington Council have received a copy of the coroner’s report and have until March to respond.

A Peabody spokesperson said: “We are really sorry that the family has experienced such upset following the death of their mum. Mrs Pamment, known to us as Lil, lived with us in this sheltered housing scheme for more than four years and was a valued and much cared about resident.

“Our staff member called the emergency services for help as soon as they realised something was wrong.

“Our initial review of the circumstances concluded that the procedures were followed by our team, and we will be responding formally to the coroner in due course.

We send our heartfelt condolences to all of Lil’s family and friends.”