I didn't drop 91-year-old patient, insists Walsall nurse
A nurse denied dropping a frail 91-year-old care home resident who later died, claiming he followed correct procedure, at an inquest this week.
Santhosh Rajan, from Walsall, had previously been cleared of manslaughter following the death of widow Iris Teale, but again denied any culpability toward her death during the hearing his week.
Mr Rajan was an on-duty nurse at Bupa-run Aston Court Nursing and Residential Home on the night of October 8, 2011, when Mrs Teale was admitted into Good Hope hospital in Birmingham with a fractured thigh bone.
She died 16 days later.
Mr John Coughlan, representing Mrs Teale's family, quizzed the nurse over his actions as well as those of Marsha Tulloch who was the on-duty care assistant on the ward.
The barrister said: "Did you handle Iris Teale on your own? For a small frail lady like Iris it would have been easy wouldn't it for someone of your size? Either you or Marsha Tulloch dropped Iris. Was it you? Was it you who put her back in bed or both of you?"
Mr Rajan, who spoke in broken English at the hearing, denied the allegations.
He said: "Nothing happened on my shift. I always waited for another carer to be around.
"I didn't put her back because she was in bed all day."
Mr Rajan said he saw Mrs Teale while he was administering medication on his 'drug round' from 8.30pm, but insisted she was 'fast asleep'.
The nurse claimed the next time he saw her was around 10pm when he and Ms Tulloch went to change her pads.
It was then he said he noticed her leg was 'floppy', which is when he alerted another nurse at the home and called the ambulance.
The inquest at Cannock Coroner's Court had previously heard that the day before three carers had moved Mrs Teale without using a hoist as had been strictly advised because of her frailty.
All three; Kerry Pemberton, of Walsall, Rachel Foulger, of Little Aston, and current employee Rizwana Kosar or Walsall, were initially suspended for mishandling residents and Ms Foulgar was sacked having previously being warned.
Mr Coughlan claimed there was a 'culture of none compliance with care plans' at the home.
A statement was read out by nurse Jillian Kilgallon. She claimed she had complained to Bupa bosses that the home was understaffed which resulted in carers and nurses not following the correct procedures with dangerous consequences for the residents.
On the night Mrs Teale was admitted to hospital the home was a carer short.
Authorities have yet to track down Ms Tulloch despite the fact she is viewed as a crucial witness in the case.
Home Office pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar declared the medical cause of death as heart disease, chronic renal failure and Lewy bodies dementia which was 'accelerated' by the 16cm (6.3inches) spiral fracture of her left thigh.
