Woman needed toes amputated after care home bath scalding

A young woman had to have all her toes amputated and is now wheelchair bound after the care home looking after her put the woman in a scalding hot bath.

Thirty-two-year-old Nicola Jones suffered burns on half her body and has been left with no flesh on her ankles following an incident at Real Life Options care home in Bathgate, West Lothian.

The UK care provider Real Life Options, which supports people with learning disabilities, has been fined £20,000 by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and one of its employees will serve 160 hours community service for health and safety breaches.

Ms Jones, who had been living at the care home for 14 years, suffered burns to more than 40 per cent of her body and faces further corrective surgery, following the bath incident on 13 August 2013.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard how care worker Sharon Dunlop, who has 11 year’s experience, failed to check the water temperature of a bath before Ms Jones got in it.

The court heard that the women’s learning difficulties meant she was unable to communicate the emergency to the care worker.

Colleagues who came to Ms Jones’ assistance claimed they ‘could feel the heat coming from the bathroom’ and suggested it must have been obvious to Ms Dunlop that the water was scalding hot.

The court also heard staff members were supposed to check the water temperature before residents bathed and fill out a record of this check. However, the HSE said written instructions confirming this, were not provided by Real Life Options.

The HSE investigation found no risk assessment was in place for the risk of exposure to scalding water and the thermometers provided in the home were inadequate.

Although the immersion heater’s thermostat failed causing the scalding water in the taps, the HSE said it was the care worker’s failure to check the water’s temperature that caused the resident’s injuries.

HSE Inspector Hazel Dobb said: “The injuries sustained by Nicola Jones were easily preventable by the simple act of checking the water temperature before she entered.

"Employers should ensure that their staff are provided with a thermometer and training in the safety aspects of bathing or showering people for whom they provide personal care.

“Thermostatic mixing valves that reduce the maximum temperature of the water at the tap, have reduced the number of accidents such as this and are a requirement in registered care homes.

"However, they are no replacement for a physical check of the water temperature. I would also urge anyone with an immersion heater to check that it has a secondary thermostatic cut-out to prevent the hot tank boiling if it fails”.

Ms Dunlop of Drummond Place, Blackridge, West Lothian pleaded guilty to breaching section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, 1974 and was served with a community payback order to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work over the next 10 months.

Real Life Options of David Wandless House, Knottingley Road, West Yorkshire, was fined £20,000 after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Real Life Options offers care in England, Scotland and Wales including supported living, outreach and care at home, care homes, short breaks, respite and vocational day opportunities.

Brian Hutchinson, chief executive of Real Life Options, which runs 29 care homes as well as home care agencies, said: ”Real Life Options fully respects the decision of the court and the findings of the HSE. “This was a tragic accident that should never have happened. “We are deeply sorry for the pain and distress caused to Ms Jones and her family.

“Since the issue of improvement notices in 2013, Real Life Options has cooperated fully with the HSE; responding quickly to ensure all best practice protocols are firmly in place. This was acknowledged by the judge at Livingstone Sheriff Court.

“We will continue to strengthen practice throughout all aspects of our work.”