Health trust fined after fall death of patient
Tuesday 30th November 2010, 11:29AM GMT.
Shropshire health bosses have been fined £50,000 after an 89-year-old man died after falling out of bed in hospital.
A court heard he had not been given a bed rail.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust representatives appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday after admitting contravening health and safety regulations by failing to provide Francis Steele with a bed rail.
Mr Steele, of Lower Netchwood, Ditton Priors near Bridgnorth, died two weeks after the fall at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital in November 2007.
The cause of death recorded one of the contributory factors as injuries sustained as a result of the fall.
Judge Robin Onions fined the trust £50,000 and ordered it to pay £8,476.30 in court costs.
He said it was possible the fall had shortened Mr Steele’s life, “but by how much I cannot calculate”.
Mrs Rhona Campbell, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive, said there had been a breach over a significant period of time in relation to staffing levels and it had failed to heed warnings. Mr Steele’s son had raised need for a bed rail with staff but no action was taken.
Mr Steele suffered a blood clot and bleeding on the brain. His condition deteriorated and he died on December 6, 2007.
Miss Lisa Judge, representing the trust, said at the time it was dealing with an outbreak of influenza and the winter vomiting bug. She said: “They were in a position where they had to turn to banking or temporary staff but no-one was available.”
A trust spokesman said it had apologised to Mr Steele’s family and that improvements had been put in place.
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