Care home fined after man with eating disorder chokes to death

Caretech Services Ltd, the owner of a care home in which a man with an eating disorder choked to death, has been fined £150,000.

Mark Lawrence, aged 55, who had an obsessive-compulsive eating disorder, was found on his bed after choking on chips that he had taken from an unmanned kitchen. Despite his disorder, and despite the fact that in the past he has eaten washing tablets, cat food and raw meat, he was given a room adjacent to the home’s cooking area and, when the member of staff cooking the chips had to go to attend to a resident, he went into the kitchen and took the food. Because of his condition he did not chew food and therefore was known to be at risk of choking.

Cherwell District Council prosecuted Caretech Services Ltd after it admitted breaching health and safety regulations. It was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay almost £50,000 in court costs. The local authority claimed that because of Mr Lawrence’s condition, he should not have been placed near to the kitchen and also said there had been a failure to review a risk assessment regarding his eating disorder.

Caretech, which apologised to Mr Lawrence’s family, said that since the tragedy it had imposed new structures and had invested heavily to ensure there would not be a repeat incident. A spokesman for Cherwell District Council said he hoped the outcome would highlight the inadequate care given to disabled people in sub-standard care homes throughout the country.

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