Bupa Care Homes has been fined £333,333 and ordered to pay £17,576 in prosecution costs following the death of an elderly resident.
Bupa pleaded guilty to two health and safety offences after 90-year-old Ivy Davies fell to her death down a flight of stairs at Druid Stoke Residential Care Home on 6 June 2014.
Cllr Helen Holland, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: “This was a very sad incident and one that we hope will never be repeated. On behalf of the council we send again our deepest condolences to Mrs Davies’ family.
“I am glad that this case is concluded, although it cannot undo what has been done. People deserve to be safe and receive a high quality of care wherever they’re looked after, and every care provider needs to do all they can to meet – and exceed – the standards set out by the Care Quality Commission. Our Quality Assurance team work with care providers to advise them, and I understand that they have worked closely with Druid Stoke Care Home following the death of Mrs Davies.”
A council investigation found that Mrs Davies, who had been assessed as requiring accompaniment, had accessed a staircase through a fire door after being left unsupervised.
Kay Cox, Managing Director of Bupa Care Services in the South West: “We are sorry and Mrs Davies’ family and friends are in our thoughts. This was a tragic accident and we have made a number of improvements at the home. Mrs Davies was a wonderful woman and she is greatly missed at the home.”
Bupa said it had worked hard to deliver extra training and had made a number of changes to improve residents’ care following the incident.
Bupa said these improvements had been recognised by the CQC, which rated the home the care element provided by the service Good on its last inspection. Druid Stoke was rated Requires Improvement overall.
