Doctors at a Medway hospital have been cleared of any wrong-doing following the death of a patient.

Roger Sykes, north Kent coroner, gave a written verdict following a lengthy inquest into the death of a Rainham woman held at the Corn Exchange, Rochester.

The report was released to the press by the coroner's office today.

In the report, Mr Sykes's verdict states: "Judith Cogar died from a haemothorax due to fractured ribs due to a fall in hospital on June 12, 2007."

Judith Cogar, 64, of High Street, Rainham died after undergoing treatment on her left leg after a fall on a bus in May last year.

She broke her knee on the bus and went back to hospital in June to have an infection cleaned out.

But a day before the surgery was carried out Mrs Cogar fell, probably backwards, and broke two ribs while at the hospital.

Later that morning she complained of breathing difficulties but, although a doctor requested an X-ray, none were taken as the radiology department cancelled the request as there were 'no new symptoms'.

On June 14, at around 4am, Mrs Cogar's condition deteriorated and she had a cardiac arrest.

Mr Sykes said in his report: "It is an extremely rare occurence for rib fractures to damage blood vessels resulting in fatal haemorrhaging."

He added: "Although the presence of a rib fracture had not been identified prior to death, that did not amount to a missed opportunity for some other form of treatment to have been instigated which could have prevented death."