A care home company has been ordered to pay £150,000 after a great-grandmother from the Black Country died after she fell from a sling.

Irene Evans, aged 91, suffered a five-inch gash to her head as staff tried to move her at Parklands Court Nursing Home in Bloxwich.

She died of her injuries 10 days after falling from the patient hoist. Bupa Care Homes admitted failing to correctly use new equipment.

The company, which has more than 300 care homes across the country, was fined £100,000 and also ordered to pay £50,000 costs at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday.

A new sling, which is placed under a person and attached to a hoist to help move them, had been purchased for immobile Mrs Evans.

But an investigation into her death after the fall in January 2007 found the loop fixings were wrongly adjusted.

A safety pommel which would have prevented the fall had not been used.

The Health and Safety Executive also found staff at the home in Park Road had not received any information, instruction or training in its use.

Sentencing Bupa Judge John Wait said he had taken into consideration their previous good record and motive for the new sling.

The fine comes after the care home was criticised after a separate investigation by the Care Quality Commission in December last year.

In the report released in April inspectors raised concerns over appropriate care, abuse amongst patients, staff numbers and training.

The company, which is based in Leeds, pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The case came before the court after an inquest jury recorded a verdict that Mrs Evans died as a result of an accident.

After the case Tim Seal, regional director for Bupa care homes, said: “This terrible accident should never have happened and we fully acknowledge that equipment was not used correctly, leading to Mrs Evans’ fall in 2007.

“Our nurses and carers carry out millions of hoist transfers every year and unfortunately, an error in this case led to tragic consequences.

“We are very sorry and would again like to offer our sincere condolences to her family.

“It was acknowledged by the judge that we have a good safety record and take the welfare of our residents extremely seriously.

“All our nurses and carers are fully trained and we now also have additional checks in place across all our homes to ensure that procedures are being followed.”