A Scottish health board has been fined £180,000 over the death of a vulnerable patient who sustained fatal head injuries in hospital “due to a lack of nursing staff”.
During a hearing at Inverness Sheriff Court on 31 January 2023, NHS Highland pled guilty to a breach of health and safety regulations in relation to the case.
Ward staff made repeated requests for additional nurses, but there were no formal systems in place at the hospital for reviewing and escalating staffing gaps, the court was told.
Over the course of eight days, Mr Lloyd fell three times in hospital and subsequent CT scans found bleeding on his brain. He died on the ward on 16 February 2019.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), which brought the case, said the death was “due to a lack of nursing staff”.
Speaking after the sentencing, Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations for the COPFS, said: “The tragic death of Colin Lloyd could have been prevented had suitable and sufficient measures been put in place.”