Care home resident ate tablets of chlorine

The operator of a care home has been fined £270,000 following the death of a resident who ate chlorine tablet she believed to be mints.

James McConnell ,72, who had Alzheimer’s, was staying at Lomond Court Care Home in Glenrothes, Fife, when he discovered the unattended tablets following a delivery of cleaning products.

The white tablets, which had been left in a corridor in an unsealed box, were about the size of a 10 pence piece and were similar in appearance to mints.

Staff were said to have found Mr Mcconnell distressed and in pain after he had chewed some of the tablets. He later died following the incident, which happened on 4 August 2015.

When Mr Mcconnell was found, the tub of chlorine tablets was lying open.

The Health and Safety Executive( H SE ), which revealed details of the case following the hearing, said that care home operator HC-ONE Limited was fined the six-figure sum at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

The firm, of Darlington in County Durham, had pleaded guilt y to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the HSE said.

The company has apologised to Mr Mcconnell’s family and said it has new systems in place.