Care home patient died after drinking cleaning fluid left in room
- Published
Tigh-Na-Muirn Ltd admitted health and safety failings in relation to Mr Fyfe's death
A 90-year-old Alzheimer's patient died after drinking cleaning fluid from an unlabelled bottle left in his room in an Angus care home, a court has heard.
David Fyfe died from ammonia poisoning four days after drinking the substance at Tigh-Na-Muirn in Monifieth in 2020.
Tigh-Na-Muirn Ltd, the company which runs the home, admitted being responsible for the death by poisoning of Mr Fyfe.
It will be sentenced at a future date at Dundee Sheriff Court.
The court heard that Mr Fyfe, who had a number of health issues, had been confined to his room after contracting Covid.
Principal fiscal depute Jane Hilditch told the court that Mr Fyfe was found seriously unwell in his room by staff at the height of the first pandemic lockdown in May 2020.
She said: "He had breathing difficulties and chest pain, and an ambulance was requested by 999.
"Staff observed a cup with the residue of green liquid in it on the table, it was the same colour as the sanitizer.
"He was unable to confirm if he had taken any of the liquid and was transferred to Ninewells Hospital for monitoring."
Cause of death
The court heard that Mr Fyfe's health deteriorated and he died on 31 May.
A post-mortem examination revealed the primary cause of death resulted from the ingestion of ammonia-based cleaning product.
Ms Hilditch said cleaning chemicals were never usually kept in rooms and were locked in the cupboard.
She said: "But in the circumstances of the pandemic and infection control they were in the Covid-positive rooms.
"It is not known why the bottle in his room had not been labelled."
The company, which has 120 staff and 59 residents, admitted a number of health and safety failings.
'Utmost regret'
Barry Smith KC, defending, said: "It is to the utmost regret of the company and all those involved in the home that it failed in this isolated incident.
"Steri-Germ was sourced in bulk and diluted and decanted into bottles and this may explain the absence of a label on the bottle in question.
"It is accepted unreservedly, with the benefit of hindsight, that Steri-Germ ought not to have been stored in an accessible place in the room."
A spokesperson for the home said: "We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family.
"We have learned from this tragedy and taken all the necessary steps to ensure this never happens again."