A 92-year-old died after fracturing his skull during a fall at an NHS community care unit in Watford.

William Weeks, known as Bill, was awaiting discharge from Langley House, run by Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, when he fell in the dining room shortly after breakfast.

The retired property manager, who lived in Woodside with his wife Blanche, had been admitted to the unit while recovering from a previous fall during which he had fractured his pelvis.

He was to have been discharged already but Hertfordshire Coroners Court heard a last minute home visit by one of the staff determined he would need a carer before he could leave the unit.

Louise Ayres, from the community trust, said Mr Weeks had been listening to another resident playing the piano the morning of the fall and had stood up to pass a hat round as a show of appreciation for the impromptu concert.

She said a health care assistant was in the dining room at the time preparing a breakfast behind a counter. Ms Ayres said witnesses had reported to her that when the health worker saw Mr Weeks start to get up, she called out that she would come help him in a minute.

Mr Weeks, who was 6ft 7ins, fell unrestrained to the ground as soon as he'd got up. Staff could not find a pulse and started CPR while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

Dr Muhammed Arif, who had treated Mr Weeks, told the court his consciousness levels deteriorated and he had a bleed in his brain.

He died in the hospital that night on October 16, 2013.

Mr Weeks' son, who was present for the inquest, said: "We didn't understand why he fell, why he didn't come home that day. My mother is constantly, all the time, asking why didn't he come home. But coming here today has given me closure."

Edward Thomas, senior coroner, said: "He fell. His fall was an accident and that's what I'll be recording on his death certificate.

"It's sad that he was on the road to recovery from the fractured pelvis, which is a serious injury for a man of his age. But there wasn't a care package in place.

"Everyone was enjoying themselves, someone said pass the hat round and Bill being Bill obliged. Whether he just got up too quickly, or the shock of it, he didn't restrain himself."