Aster Healthcare hid failings after scalding bath death, court hears

Frances Norris died three days after being placed in a scalding bath at Birdsgrove Nursing Home in Bracknell

A healthcare firm "covered up" its failings after the death of a dementia patient who was placed in a scalding bath, a court has heard.

Frances Norris, 93, died three days after the incident at the Birdsgrove Nursing Home in Bracknell in 2015.

Aster Healthcare, which owns the home, later falsified water temperature records, a sentencing hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice was told.

The company pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of corporate manslaughter.

It is being sentenced alongside Elisabeth West, 46, the care home's manager at the time, and carer Noel Maida, 50, who both pleaded guilty to failing to discharge a duty.

Birdsgrove Nursing Home is owned by Aster Healthcare

Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow told the court Aster Healthcare accepted it had provided false water temperature records to the Care Quality Commission and the Health and Safety Executive following Ms Norris' death.

The company also provided a false record of the thermostatic mixing valves service history, the barrister added.

Mitigating for Aster Healthcare, Jamas Hodivala QC told the court that, although the company had a history of failings, its director Sheth Jeebun had always acted quickly when a problem was raised.

However, former home manager West said in a statement that a maintenance worker was made out to be a "troublemaker" for raising issues about a boiler, before later being made redundant.

'Unqualified engineer'

Tanya Robinson, mitigating for West, said: "[The maintenance worker] said Mr Jeebun was known for not wanting to spend his money.

"When he said the boilers at the home needed to be serviced, an unqualified engineer issued gas certificates within 45 minutes. Another engineer later condemned them."

The court heard Aster Healthcare had since made training, policy and risk assessment changes following Ms Norris's death.

The sentencing hearing continues.