Fine for Nursing Home after fall leads to death
A Liverpool nursing home has been fined £18,000 after an 81-year-old woman fell to the ground while being lifted out of bed.
Frances Shannon fell three feet and suffered a broken shoulder as well as injuries to her back and elbow. The wife, mother of two and grandmother of one died in the Royal Liverpool University Hospital the following day. [1]
The Catholic Blind Institute, which runs the Christopher Grange nursing home, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to carry out regular checks of the lifting sling being used. It pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on 17 January 2011.
The court heard that Mrs Shannon was being moved from her bed to a wheelchair at the Christopher Grange Nursing Home, on Youens Way in Knotty Ash, on 4 December 2008 when the sling failed.
Sarah Wadham, the investigating inspector at HSE, said: "Mrs Shannon's fall would have been prevented if the Catholic Blind Institute had complied with the law for using equipment to lift people. "There should have been regular checks of the sling and it should have been thoroughly examined at least once every six months. Sadly this did not happen. I would urge care providers, including NHS trusts, primary care trusts and care homes, to ensure that they carry out the necessary examinations and inspections of lifting equipment, to prevent similar tragic incidents in the future."
The Catholic Blind Institute was charged with breaching Regulation 9(3) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. It was ordered to pay £13,876 towards the cost of the prosecution in addition to the fine.
More information on using lifting equipment safely is available HERE