Sheffield care provider ordered to pay out after injuring woman

A Sheffield care provider was ordered to pay the distressed family of a woman who sustained a leg injury as a result of their actions.
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ExtraCare was also told to apologise for, and rectify, a number of failings related to the care of the woman – who was not named – in Brunswick Gardens Village, on Station Road, Woodhouse, by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman.

The daughter of the woman accused the provider of causing a leg injury that ‘led to her death’ and asked to be reimbursed for the fees her mother paid, a report by the ombudsman said.

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Brunswick Gardens Village, Sheffield, which is managed by ExtraCare.Brunswick Gardens Village, Sheffield, which is managed by ExtraCare.
Brunswick Gardens Village, Sheffield, which is managed by ExtraCare.
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Investigations found that although there were a number of failings by ExtraCare, the death was a result of natural causes and not the leg injury.

The ombudsman said the provider failed to take action which could have prevented the injury – which required nine stitches – then failed to take a witness statement following the incident as well as failed to contact her GP and properly follow procedures in relation to personal protective equipment, moving and handling those in their care and dealing with complaints.

The investigator’s findings

In a report, the ombudsman said the woman was injured when her leg slipped and caught the bed remote – which had been hung on the lowered bed rail, despite a risk assessment stating it should not be – while receiving personal care by staff.

Carers failed to ensure the remote was stored correctly and this fault led to the woman’s injury, the ombudsman said.

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They added that carers then failed to take a witness statement from the woman and, on the balance of probabilities, it is likely that carers were inappropriately using tissues on the wound until their manager arrived to provide first aid.

She was admitted to hospital and died a few weeks later.

ExtraCare’s response

The ombudsman said although the provider’s actions resulted in pain and distress for the woman in their care, it was no longer possible to remedy the injustice after she died and ExtraCare should not reimburse the family for the cost of her care.

However, they said the company should pay £250 to the family for the distress it caused and the time and trouble taken to pursue the complaint.

The provider accepted there were some failures in how it acted and apologised to the family.

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In light of the findings, a number of actions to be taken within eight weeks were agreed to prevent future harm.

These included: rewording the risk assessment in relation to bed remotes and reminding carers not to hang them on bed rails; providing all carers with first aid training; more training on how to complete accident forms and the importance of obtaining witness statements; and reminding staff that the complaints process must be followed properly.

A spokesperson for ExtraCare said: “We have fully cooperated with the ombudsman investigation. We have accepted the ombudsman’s determination in this case and we are currently seeking to implement their recommendations in full.”