Trust charged over hospital deaths

Rita Langley fell from a window

A hospital trust in the West Midlands is being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive following the deaths of two elderly patients in its care.

University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust is charged with two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

In one incident patient Edmund White, who was in his 70s, died following an operation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on 25 April 2002.

The anaesthetic machine failed during the operation and the Health and Saftey Executive says the machine was inadequately maintained.

In the second incident 72-year-old Rita Langley, who was also a patient at the same hospital, died when she fell 15 feet from a window on 27 June 2002.

The trust is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 23 May.