Hospital fined over death of patient who was given five times amount of drugs needed

A hospital has been fined £45,000 after the death of a leukaemia patient who was given five times the amount of drugs she needed.

Royal Bournemouth Hospital Trust ignored repeated warnings from inspectors raising concerns about the unit where the 80-year-old patient, who was taking part in a clinical trial, was given the wrong dose on two separate occasions.

The trust was fined at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty in August to supplying a medicinal product that was not of the nature or quality demanded.

Investigations revealed that, while staff spotted the incorrect dosage, they were wrongly told it was fine, meaning the pensioner, who was terminally ill, was given five times the prescribed amount over four days rather than a lower dose over 10 days.

An investigation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) found staff were working “beyond capacity”.

Inspections in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017 all found the unit was running over capacity and highlighted it as an issue that urgently needed addressing to prevent any mistakes being made.

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Source: The Independent, 12 December 2019