Lothian Health Board has been fined £40,000 following the death of a pensioner after she was struck by one of its vans as she crossed a clearly marked pedestrian route into Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital.
Ellen Cornwall, 77, of Penicuick, was on her way to visit her husband in the hospital when she was struck by the reversing van on 21 April 2009. She suffered multiple injuries and despite receiving immediate medical care from hospital staff she later died.
The incident was jointly investigated by HSE and Police and a prosecution brought against the health board, also known as NHS Lothian, for serious safety failings.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard on 18 December that a pedestrian walkway, marked by white painted rectangles on the road surface, led diagonally across an access road to the entrance of the outpatients department, which is heavily used by staff, patients and visitors.
The layout meant those using the crossing would generally face away from any oncoming traffic heading towards the kitchen service yard.
Car parking issues on the site, which had been ongoing for some years, meant that delivery vehicles often reversed down the access road as they were unable to turn at the bottom due to other parked vehicles.
The court was told that on the date of the incident, the van driver, an employee of the health board, was using the van to return empty food trolleys to the Western General Hospital kitchens.
As was normal practice, he positioned the van to allow him to reverse it down to the kitchen area, a manoeuvre which would take him over the marked pedestrian crossing.
At this time, Mrs Cornwall had arrived and was walking across the road towards the entrance when she was hit by the nearside of the reversing van. She was knocked to the ground and the rear nearside wheel drove over her. The driver realised he had hit something, stopped the vehicle and found Mrs Cornwall lying on the ground partially underneath the vehicle behind the front nearside wheel.
Mrs Cornwall was still breathing and staff from the hospital went to her aid, but despite treatment she died a short time later.
The investigation and reconstruction of the circumstances of the incident found that:
Lothian Health Board, of Waverley Gate, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, was fined £40,000 after pleading guilty to breaching section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Following the case, HSE inspector David Stephen said: “Even a cursory examination of the site quickly revealed shortcomings, and these should have been readily apparent to the extensive management team involved.
“Had a risk assessment been carried out, it would have identified the underlying problems in making deliveries and potential areas of improvement to avoid or reduce the risks. But despite concerns being raised, no action was taken.
“The failure by Lothian Health Board to provide a safe pedestrian route for patients, staff and members of the public into one of the main entrances of the hospital resulted in the tragic and needless death of Mrs Cornwall.”
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