Hospital trust fined over patient deaths
Posted: 20th December 2015
Posted in: Medical Negligence Public Place Accidents Wrongful & Accidental Death
An NHS trust has been fined after it was discovered that basic errors caused the deaths of four patients. The trust that previously ran Stafford Hospital, Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, admitted four charges relating to the deaths of elderly people between 2005 and 2014. Where the trust was originally fined £500,000 for the “blunders”, the Department of Health has agreed to cover the fine, and additional £35,000 in costs, seeing as the trust is now defunct and has no funds.
Injected with penicillin despite allergy warnings
The case was originally brought about by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who informed the court that the trust’s inadequate care standards resulted in the deaths of Lillian Tucker, Ivy Bunn and Patrick Daly. 77-year-old Mrs Tucker was injected with penicillin despite repeated warnings from both her and her family that she was allergic to the antibiotic. Mrs Bunn (90) and Mr Daly (89) both died after suffering severe falls caused by lack of risk assessment and inadequate control measures. 83-year-old Edith Bourne also died following a fall but pathological evidence could not definitively connect care errors with her death.
The special administrator of the Mid Staffordshire trust, Tim Rideout, said: “On behalf of the trust I would like to apologise unreservedly for the shortcomings which have come to light and to place on record our sincere contrition and remorse.“
Stafford Hospital, now called County Hospital, is now run by a different organisation completely.
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