A nursing and care home company has been fined £4,000 over the death of an 86-year-old man in one of its homes.
The man, who suffered from dementia, died after he trapped his neck between a mattress and a bedrail at Galgorm Care Home in Ballymena, County Antrim. Four Seasons Healthcare pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety regulations. A company spokesperson said all of its policies and procedures had been thoroughly reviewed following the death.
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI), who took the prosecution, has called on care homes to re-examine their use of bedrails. HSE NI inspector Claire Savage commented, "Bedrails might look harmless to the unsuspecting eye but there are potentially very real entrapment dangers associated with such equipment."
