Winchester care home boss sacked after choking death

A care home manager who failed to call an ambulance as one of her patients choked to death has been sacked.

Anne Taylor was in charge of the St Cross Grange residential care home in Winchester, Hampshire, when 94-year-old Ella Davidson started choking.

An inquest heard she made no attempt to resuscitate her, leaving a staff member to watch her die in June 2009.

Greensleeves Homes Trust, which runs the home, said Mrs Taylor was dismissed following an internal inquiry.

The hearing at Winchester heard that she had checked the dying woman's pulse but did not call an ambulance for Mrs Davidson, who also suffered from Parkinson's Disease.

Insufficient evidence

Police investigated the death over concerns that no ambulance had been called but it was decided that there was not enough evidence to prosecute, a spokesman said.

The trust said in a statement the incident was an "aberration" and that all staff knew they should call an ambulance, and this had now been reinforced.

It said: "We deeply regret the circumstances of Mrs Davidson's death.

"Following the conclusion of police inquiries and the decision that no-one was to be charged with an offence, we carried out our own internal investigation and Mrs Taylor was dismissed."

A verdict of accidental death was recorded.