Electric fire by bed started fatal blaze
MORE than £8.5m in damages has been paid out for medical negligence claims against the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in the past 12 months, it has been revealed.
During the year 246 new claims were lodged against the board – a fall of 21% on 2014-15 – in addition to the 835 which remained open.
In a report to this week’s board meeting Chief Operating Officer Morag Olsen says payments totalled £8,553,535 in damages and claimants’ costs, with an extra £944,000 in defence costs.
Of that total, the board was responsible for £2,022,843 – or £25,000 per case – with the rest being met by the Welsh Health Risk Pool, a form of insurance to which boards contribute.
In 2014-15 the total sum was £8.2m and in 2013-14 £9.5.
Of the 246 new claims 191 were for negligence against adults and 15 involved children. Thirty-six claims were for alleged personal injuries suffered by staff.
Ms Olsen says the recurring themes within claims have been record-keeping, communication, supervision, competence and training.
“These themes continue to be highlighted in claims indicating the sharing of learning and action is not always shared across the organisation and work is on-going to make this more systematic,” says the report. AN ELECTRIC fire being placed too close to a bed was blamed for a fire that claimed the life of a Gwynedd pensioner and his dog, an inquest heard.
Peter Davies, 71, was found dead at his home in Rhos Isaf, near Caernarfon, following the incident on Saturday, April 16.
An inquest in Caernarfon heard that Mr Davies, a retired entrepreneur, was a private man who was very wary of intruders at his Tryfan Hall home.
One of Mr Davies’ friends, Barnabus Brooks, said that he visited around twice a week, with Mr Davies’ living quarters largely constrained to just a single room in the large house.
Mr Davies used several electric heaters to heat the room, where he also slept.
But upon arrival to visit Mr Davies on the evening of his death, Mr Brooks recalled: “There were smoke alarms going off everywhere.
“The windows had been blacked out because of the smoke. I couldn’t see many flames but the doors were very hot to touch, it was obvious there’d been a large fire.”
After the emergency services were summoned, Brian Williams of the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, carried out a full investigation.
Mr Williams found that a small, two bar heater was still on, just feet from Mr Davies’ bed, which had been largely burnt.
Mr Davies’ body had been found slumped over a nearby chair, as well as his dog.
The report compiled by pathologist, Dr Mark Lord, found no other features apart from obvious carbon monoxide inhalation and soot in Mr Davies’ lungs.
Dr Lord concluded that Mr Davies’ death had likely been rapid, having been overcome by the poisonous fumes.
Recording a verdict of accidental death due to smoke inhalation, Coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones said: “Due to Mr Davies’ fear of intruders, meaning the door to the room was locked at the time, he was unable to make it out to escape the flames and smoke.
“Due to the isolation of his home, no-one would have heard the smoke alarms to assist.
“The electric fire, which had no guard, had been placed too close to the bedding.
“Such man made fibres can cause toxic fumes, including cyanide which can create carbon monoxide.
“It seems that Mr Davies was awoken by the fire, but had been quickly overcome by the smoke, hence his collapsing on the chair.”