Trusts find for crew's tragic error (From Penarth Times)

Trusts find for crew's tragic error

TWO health trusts must pay more than £45,000 after a frail Penarth woman died in hospital weeks after an ambulance dropped her off at the wrong address.

Mary Purnell, 93, was left by the crew at Wesley Court, Dinas Powys in August 2003 - rather than being taken to her correct address at Fairfield Road, some miles away.

The ambulance crew, who were said to have been "unfamiliar with the passengers and the route", had been transporting her and other patients from the Morfa Day Centre at Barry Hospital.

Mrs Purnell, who suffered with dementia, fell and broke her leg after trying to leave the property, and died at the University Hospital of Wales five weeks later of bronchial pneumonia and leukaemia.

The error was only realised when the crew dropped off another woman at Mrs Purnell's correct address.

The Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust was fined £20,000 and the Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust £7,500 after admitting failure to discharge their duty of care by exposing patients to serious risk of injury.

Both trusts will share costs of £17,697.

Cardiff Crown Court heard on Friday that both trusts have since reviewed their practices.

Tom Leeper, defending the Welsh Ambulance Service, said that the trust's policy has been altered.

A spokeswoman for the family said that although they felt this was a tragic incident that never should have happened, they were pleased with the outcome.