NHS chiefs slammed over disabled woman’s death

A SHERIFF yesterday criticised health chiefs over the death of a disabled woman in a house fire after an alarm system failed to work.

Barbara Anderson, 51, who suffered from spina bifida and used a wheelchair, had a Telecare unit in her flat in Inverness.

The retired police civilian worker was declared dead after being pulled from the flat by firefighters in August 2013.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) at Inverness Sheriff Court had heard the Telecare system, fitted by NHS Highland, did not alert a call centre when fire broke out as it was not connected to the property’s smoke alarms.

The FAI was told that a worker who fitted the system did not have proper training and that the disconnection was spotted by a maintenance worker but not followed up.

In a written ruling yesterday, Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood said: ‘The evidence left me in no doubt Miss Anderson was badly served by Telecare and its providers, NHS Highland. It was clear NHS Highland, whose responsibility this was, did not have full records of what equipment was installed where, what peripheral devices were connected to each system and what checks had been carried out on the peripheral equipment to ensure it was linked.’

But he added: ‘The defects however, in my view, had no part to play in either the accident or the death itself.’

NHS Highland carried out checks on the homes of 3,700 elderly and disabled people following the tragedy – and found a number of other homes with the same problem.

An NHS Highland spokesman said: ‘It is clear the service Miss Anderson received prior to her death fell below the standard she was entitled to expect from NHS Highland.

‘NHS Highland wish to restate publicly what they have already said privately to Miss Anderson’s relatives: they apologise for the shortcomings in that care unreservedly.

‘Steps have been taken by NHS Highland to address those issues.’