A CARE home operator has been fined £500,000 after a fire that caused the death of woman in Glasgow’s East End which “could have been prevented.”
Carol Hughes, a 54-year-old resident of the Arcadia Gardens care home in Bridgeton, died in hospital of injuries sustained in a fire believed to have started in her room in March 2017.
Ms Hughes had been a smoker and two lighters and a e-cigarette were found on her, but prosecutors argued HC-One Ltd failed in its duties of care, neglecting to review her care plan and risk assessments as she became progressively more bed-bound.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that the lack of a review meant that measures such as ensuring Ms Hughes was supervised while she smoked were not put in place, while a poorly-located fire detection system hindered efforts to tackle the blaze swiftly.
HC-One Ltd, which runs more than 270 care homes across Britain, pled guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £500,000, with an additional victim surcharge of £37,500.
A spokesperson for HC-One Scotland offered “sincere apologies” to Ms Hughes family, adding: “This incident should never have happened, and we hope that today’s decision can bring a sense of closure.”
Welcoming the verdict, health and safety investigation lead for the Crown Office Debbie Carroll stated Ms Hughes’s death “could have been prevented if HC-One Ltd had suitably and sufficiently assessed the risks to her health and safety.”
She added: “This prosecution serves to highlight the need for all care homes to protect their residents and remind them they will be held accountable if they fail to do so.”
