Care Workers Suspended After Inquest Findings

Three workers at a care home have been suspended after an inquest highlighted mistakes made before a man’s death.

Andrew Turner (29) died at Heath Farm autism centre in Scopwick, near Lincoln, after his carers failed to give him his epilepsy medication for more than 48 hours.

At the end of a week-long inquest last month, a jury returned a verdict that Mr Turner died of an epileptic fit which could have been prevented if a series of errors had not been made by five senior staff administering his medication.

Mr Turner was found dead in his bed on September 6, 2006.

Since then two staff members who worked in the centre’s The Barn section have left the care home.

The inquest heard how three former team leaders in The Barn who were found to have made errors before Mr Turner’s death had since been taken off medication duties.

Heath Farm spokesman John Danaher said: “Following the recent inquest into the death of Andrew Turner at Heath Farm in September 2006 three members of staff at the home have been suspended while the company continues its internal investigations.”

The inquest heard evidence from a former inspector at the Commission for Social Care Inspection, Michael Walklin, that he was satisfied medication procedures were being adhered to when an inspection was carried out in August 2006.

But since the inquest, commission inspectors have returned to the Scopwick site.

On the final day of the inquest, coroner Roger Atkinson said he was satisfied that since Mr Turner’s death Heath Farm had taken sufficient steps to improve the handling of medication.

But Andrew Turner’s father Paul Turner has since written to Mr Atkinson asking him to urge the commission to carry out another inspection.