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Stafford hospital admits death of Gillian Astbury | Stafford hospital admits death of Gillian Astbury |
(35 minutes later) | |
The Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust has pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches over the death of a diabetic patient who was not given insulin. | |
Gillian Astbury, 66, died at Stafford Hospital in April 2007 after two nurses failed to give her treatment. | Gillian Astbury, 66, died at Stafford Hospital in April 2007 after two nurses failed to give her treatment. |
Ann King was struck off and Jeannette Coulson was cautioned after a Nursing and Midwifery Council panel found them guilty of misconduct in July. | |
The trust has previously apologised for "appalling care" given to Mrs Astbury. | The trust has previously apologised for "appalling care" given to Mrs Astbury. |
It pleaded guilty at Stafford Magistrates' Court to failing to properly manage and organise hospital services including its systems for record-keeping and patient information between staff members. | |
Gross failure | |
BBC reporter Phil Mackie said magistrates were hearing submissions on whether the trust should be sentenced at Crown Court. | |
The maximum fine magistrates can impose is £20,000 but a Crown Court judge can impose a much greater fine, he said. | |
The criminal prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive three years after an inquest jury ruled that Mrs Astbury's death was caused by low staffing levels and a failure to provide adequate nursing facilities. | |
The inquest also found that the failure by nurses to administer insulin amounted to a gross failure to provide basic care. | |
Mrs Astbury, from Hednesford, Staffordshire, died after going into a fatal diabetic coma on 11 April 2007 while being treated for fractures to her arm and pelvis. |