Stafford Hospital death case sentencing adjourned to later date
Just one senior nurse at Stafford Hospital had responsibility for 84 beds at the time of the death of a diabetic pensioner, a court was told this afternoon.
Gillian Astbury, aged 66, died at the troubled hospital in 2007 after two nurses failed to give her insulin.
Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, was today being sentenced at Stafford Crown Court after admitting it had failed to ensure her safety.
Mr Justice Haddon-Cave this afternoon reserved judgement, and said the Trust would be sentenced at a later date.
Ms Astbury, from Hednesford, died after going into a diabetic coma on April 10 2007 while being treated at the hospital for fractures to her arm and pelvis.
Our reporter Rob Golledge is tweeting live from the case:
Mr Bernard Thorogood, prosecuting, told the court Ms Astbury's death was 'wholly avoidable'.
He said there had been failures to keep records and pass on information that had led to Ms Astbury's death.
There were chronic staff shortages as the trust failed to meet its financial targets, he told the court.
Mr Thorogood said: "All clinical staff were working in the context of a poorly-led and poorly-run system with no effective management. At the time in question there was just one senior nurse who was responsible for 84 beds. I am pleased to say that is no longer the case."
He also said he had spoken to Ron Street, the partner and carer of Ms Astbury, who said he felt let down.
The court was told there were no entries into her medical notes for four days, during which time she experiences spikes in blood sugar levels. Last October, the trust admitted failing to ensure her safety.
It pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.
