A Shrewsbury care home owner and its former manager have been fined over £50,000 in a prosecution brought by us after admitting they failed to provide safe care.
Coverage Care Services Limited have been fined £50,000 plus a £120 victim surcharge and one of its former managers, Alison Gough, was fined £665 and a £66 victim surcharge at Telford Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
The prosecution was brought against the company and Alison Gough following an investigation into the death of a service user at Coton Hill House care home.
Dennis Wootton died at the care home on 11 April 2015. His death was referred to the coroner as errors with the administration of his anti-coagulant medication had been identified. A post mortem examination revealed he died as a result of a pulmonary thromboembolism and deep vein thrombosis.
Mr Wootton had been prescribed anti-coagulant medication on his discharge from the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, where he had been taken after falling ill at the home in February 2015.
Jenny Ashworth, prosecuting, told the court that when CQC inspectors looked at Mr Wootton’s medication records there were a number of omissions and errors.
Ms Ashworth said while Mr Wooton’s death could not be directly linked to his not receiving this medication, we found people living at Coton Hill House had generally been put at risk of significant harm because of the home’s management and recording of the medicines people received.
Deb Holland, Head of Adult Social Care Inspection for CQC in the Central region, said: “While we welcome the fact that both the provider and manager accepted responsibility in this case, we would always rather not be in the position of having to take action because vulnerable people have been failed by those providing their care.
“We appreciate how distressing this has been for Mr Wootton’s family and, like them, hope this case prompts other care home operators and managers to review their medicine management systems to better ensure people’s safety.
“If we find that a care provider has put people in its care at serious risk of harm, we will consider holding them to account using our powers to prosecute."
If we find that a care provider has put people in its care at serious risk of harm, we will consider holding them to account using our powers to prosecute.
Deb Holland, Head of Adult Social Care Inspection for the Central Region