The former bosses of a care home blamed for negligence that led to a woman’s death have escaped punishment, her daughter has said.
Ashbourne Group UK Ltd, part of Southern Cross Healthcare, which owned Aylesbury’s Lakeside Care Centre at the time of the incident, has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
But, as Southern Cross is in administration, the judge could only hand out a nominal £1 fine.
Aylesbury Crown Court was told 87-year-old Barbara Kilty, a resident at the home for more than three years, slipped from her wheelchair after she was transferred from her bed using a hoist on Christmas Day, 2010.
She broke her hip as a result of the fall, but the incident was not initially reported within the care home.
Mrs Kilty, from Wing, was sent for an X-ray 10 days later after she continued to show distress on being moved, even though an initial medical examination found no injury.
A widow and mother of seven, she was eventually taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital 17 days after the fall and had an operation to correct her hip fracture. She died shortly after the operation.
Mrs Kilty’s daughter Bridget has never had an apology from the care home’s former owners and says they tried to bill her for the month of care in which her mother fell.
Two members of staff were sacked but Miss Kilty does not blame them.
She said: “I blame the whole care system because some carers don’t care.
“The hierarchy have not been punished. She didn’t mean anything to them.
“I would like to have seen them at the hearing but no- one came. They could have said they were sorry about her death but we never even had any condolence.”
The court heard HSE found the risk assessment, equipment and procedures for safely moving and handling residents at the home were not suited to the needs of an immobile and dependent resident such as Mrs Kilty.
HSE inspector Emma Rowlands said it was ‘an entirely avoidable incident’.
The care home is now under different ownership.