South Birmingham PCT to pay GBP 37,500

South Birmingham Primary Care Trust (PCT) has been fined £20,000 after its failure to conduct adequate risk assessments led to the death of an elderly woman.

It will also pay costs of £17,500 after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Two nurses were moving a patient in an over-sized hoist when she slipped from the device and fell to the floor.

Amanda James, the Health and Safety Executive's investigating inspector, claims the organisation failed in its duty to ensure all equipment was adequate for the job.

She says: "A suitable risk assessment, carried out by competent staff, would have identified and recorded the appropriate type and size of sling and this should then have been communicated to all staff involved."

In recent news, Shell and Amec have been ordered to pay almost £400,000 after their failure to provide an adequate risk assessment led to the death of a technician who was working at height.