NHS fined £180,000 after vulnerable patient’s death

A health board has been fined £180,000 for failing to protect a vulnerable pensioner who died after repeatedly falling in hospital. Colin Lloyd, 78, was assessed as posing a high risk of falling and required one-to-one care after being admitted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

Despite repeated requests for more nursing staff none were made available and the pensioner suffered falls on the ward, which caused fatal injuries.

Fiona Hogg, NHS Highland’s director of people and culture, said: “We are deeply sorry for the failures identified in our care. Our internal review following the incident identified several areas of improvement and we have made a number of changes to our practice.”

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Source: The Times, 15 February 2023