A Northern Ireland health trust has been fined over the death a patient who choked on a brussels sprout while eating his Christmas dinner.
The move came after a joint investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the PSNI into the death of a patient at Mid Ulster Hospital in 2014.
As a result, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust was fined £10,000 at Coleraine Crown Court after pleading guilty to a single health and safety offence.
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In a statement issued on Thursday, the HSE said that Gerard McElhone, 50, was a patient at Mid Ulster Hospital in Magherafelt, Co Derry. They said that on December 25, 2014, Mr McElhone, “who was on a restricted diet requiring food to be pre-mashed, choked on a Brussels sprout and died later that evening”.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Linda Murphy said: “Choking can have serious consequences but is avoidable in cases where there is a known risk. In this tragic case there was a failure to effectively communicate and implement dietary restrictions for Mr McElhone. Effective communication of a patient’s dietary requirements is vital in all health care settings.”
The HSE said that their investigation found that “Mr McElhone was given the Brussels sprout in error by a member of staff, at his request on Christmas Day”.
They added: “Although Mr McElhone’s dietary restrictions had been identified by way of an earlier assessment, they were not effectively communicated. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust, as an employer, failed to ensure that reasonably practicable steps were taken to ensure the safety of Mr McElhone.”
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has been approached for comment.
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