Home is fined over woman's death

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A company which owns a care home where a resident suffocated in a bed has been fined £175,000 for breaching health and safety laws.

Margaret O'Mara, 69, became trapped by the legs in a gap between a badly fitted bedrail and the mattress.

Ms O'Mara, who was seriously disabled after a series of strokes, was trapped face down and unable to free herself.

Southern Cross Health Care Group, which runs Hornegarth House in Great Wyrley, Staffordshire, admitted two charges.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought the case, which was heard at Stafford Crown Court.

The HSE blamed a "catalogue of errors" at the home, where bedrails and mattress were incorrectly fitted by staff who were untrained on the jobs and where risk assessment procedures were not followed.

'Tragic result'

HSE Investigating inspector Andrew Bowker said "The death of Margaret O'Mara was the tragic result of a failure by Hornegarth nursing home to follow its own quality procedures relating to the safe use of bedrails."

Speaking after the case, Ms O'Mara's son Steven said "I am not bothered about how much the company has been fined.

"I am bothered about the health and safety, as long as it's implemented there and nobody else has to suffer what we had to suffer."

In a statement, Southern Cross said it deeply regretted the circumstances of Mrs O'Mara's death, and had changed the management structure to ensure no repetition of what it called "this tragic incident."

The statement continued: "More than £1m has been spent on the purchase of equipment which prevents the possibility of entrapment and at least £200,000 has been spent on health and safety training."