Care home staff and a GP failed to spot a woman’s fractured skull ‘which contributed to her death’, an inquest heard.

Mystery surrounds how Norma Topping, 68, suffered the injury while living at Hollins Park care home in Macclesfield.

On the morning of October 3, 2013 care staff found her pale and unresponsive, vomiting and unable to stand but they and an on-call doctor, failed to spot the head trauma, the hearing was told.

She was taken to hospital later the same day where a scan revealed a skull fracture and blood clot.

Mrs Topping was moved to another care home in Poynton where she died in September 2014.

Dr Christopher Johnson, forensic pathologist, found she died of bronchial pneumonia, advanced Alzheimer’s and dementia, with the traumatic head injury a contributing factor because she didn’t regain her mobility.

The inquest at Macclesfield Town Hall heard that Macclesfield-born Mrs Topping’s career as a carer was cut short when she was diagnosed with dementia in 2004.

After her condition deteriorated she was moved into a series of care homes. In April 2013 she was asked to leave Adlington Manor care home after an altercation with another resident and moved into Hollins Park, which has a specialised dementia unit.

However, Mrs Topping, who walked with a stoop and was partially sighted, suffered regular bruises and injuries from bumping into walls and doors.

Her sister Lillian Selby told the inquest that despite raising concerns about the level of supervision and measures being taken to avoid accidents she believed not enough was done.

Mrs Selby said: “They were short staffed. No one was monitoring her. I had to go and get someone from another wing and some would refuse to help. We were utterly disgusted.”

But former deputy manager Joanne Kari told the inquest that staff had detailed dementia training. She said: “We had lots of regular staff, we didn’t have agency staff. We looked after Norma, we watched her.”

Robert Edmondson, mental health nurse, described the standard of care at Hollins Park as ‘very good’.

A four day inquest to determine the cause of death is due to conclude on Thurday.

The inquest continues.