Care home company prosecuted and fined £1.8 million

A care home company has been prosecuted and fined following failings that caused the death of a resident. The company pleaded guilty to several breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The Inverness Sheriff Court fined the company £1.8 million.

The resident choked on a piece of food whilst consuming their evening meal. The resident’s care plan stated that they should be closely supervised when eating and drinking. The unit where the resident lived was staffed by two carers who were responsible for 12 residents. The carer was called to deal with two urgent issues which meant that the resident was left alone for 20 minutes.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the death had been caused by the company failing to ensure that all employees had access to and were aware of the resident’s care plan. Improvements were later made following the HSE action, including ensuring that agency workers were always assisted by regular employees.