Ella Kubicki, clinical negligence Paralegal in Shoosmiths’ Birmingham office stated that:
‘Patients being treated in hospital have the fundamental right to a standard of care and treatment, and it is disappointing to see that patient safety was not considered the utmost priority in these two instances. Serious failures in providing an adequate level of care is clearly widespread within the Trust, considering the recent Ockenden Report. It is questionable whether fines are enough to ensure lessons are learned’.
Max Dingle sadly passed away when his head became trapped between the mattress and bed frame of a larger bariatric bed. The Trust’s staff were, unfortunately, not trained in how to use the bed which led to fatal cardiac arrest.
Mohammed Ismael Zaman was undergoing dialysis at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital when the catheter, which was connected into his jugular vein, came out. An alarm was set off, but the member of staff did not check the catheter connection when alarm was reset. He lost three pints of blood in seven minutes and sadly died as a result.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) brought three criminal charges under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. In court on Wednesday 18 May, the Trust pled guilty to three counts of failing to provide safe treatment and care resulting in harm.
This comes at an unfortunate time for the Trust, who have recently been subject to a damning review of it’s maternity provision. The Ockenden Report , published in March 2022 concluded that catastrophic failings of the Trust have led to nearly 300 avoidable deaths or babies being left severely brain damaged.
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This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. © Shoosmiths LLP 2024
