Carer feels 'totally' responsible for drug mix-up

Jane Barnard, 66, worked as a care assistant at the Gloucester home for 32 years

A care home worker who wrongly gave morphine to a resident who later died has told a court that she feels "totally" responsible for his death.

Jane Barnard, 66, of Longlevens, Gloucester, denies the manslaughter of 75-year-old Derek Davies on 8 September 2021 at Wheatridge Court in Abbeydale.

Mrs Barnard, who had been employed as a care worker at the Gloucester home for 32 years, admitted a second charge of willfully neglecting Mr Davies by failing to disclose she had given him morphine intended for another person.

Asked at Gloucester Crown Court if she believes that she bears responsibility for Mr Davies' death, she said "totally," but said she "didn't believe he would die."

The court heard Mrs Barnard wrongly gave Mr Davies 90g of slow-release morphine on the morning of September 6, two days before he passed away.

Upon realising the mistake, she disposed of Mr Davies' correct medication and told the resident who needed the morphine that it had been dropped down the sink.

Mrs Barnard told the court that she was in a "state" following the incident and could not bring herself to tell colleagues or her husband what she had done.

"I remember going into the bathroom area just to get my head together," she told the court.

"I was sat there for some time, just beside myself… I knew I had to compose myself.

"Everything was going through my mind, my family, Derek, everything."

Mrs Barnard then failed to report the mistake even after Mr Davies was admitted to hospital.

She told the court that she hoped to confess to someone at a church where she was on the cleaning rota the next day.

"I thought I could go to church and tell someone what had happened," she said.

"I did go, I started cleaning, but they were doing technical stuff in the church and they were really busy. I didn't get the opportunity to say anything," she added.

Mrs Barnard informed the deputy manager of the care home on September 8.

When the home contacted the hospital they were told that Mr Davies had died that morning.

The original cause of death was documented as a brainstem stroke but this was later changed to the consequences of morphine toxicity.

The trial continues.