Second woman dies after drinks mix-up

Ten elderly residents drank some of the rinsing fluid

A second pensioner has died six days after drinking a detergent liquid she was given instead of blackcurrant cordial.

The elderly woman, who has not been named, was one of 10 people given dishwasher rinse to drink by mistake at a private care home in Slough, Berkshire.

Joan Walters, 80, died earlier in the week after being taken to Wexham Park Hospital, Slough.

Eight other residents of the Lady Astor Court nursing home were treated after drinking the purple detergent liquid.

A care assistant is believed to have confused two similarly packaged bottles of soft drink and dishwasher rinse.

Joint inquiry

Six members of staff have been suspended and Thames Valley police and the Health and Safety Executive are holding a joint investigation.

Six of the 10 residents affected, all in their 80s, were taken to hospital in the town on Sunday.

Joan Walters died on Monday and police confirmed on Saturday that a second resident had now died.

Southern Cross Healthcare, which runs the home, confirmed that 10 of the 76 residents had drunk some of the fluid.

Philip Scott: "tragic incident"

Slough Borough Council has stopped sending elderly clients to the home.

A council spokeswoman said it did not run the premises but it was concerned to work closely with residents and their families.

She said: "We will be reviewing arrangements for current residents to see if we need to make alternative provisions for their care.

"As a precautionary measure at this time we have taken the decision not to place any further clients at the home."

Earlier, Philip Scott, Southern Cross Healthcare's managing director, said the company regretted "this tragic incident" and was co-operating fully with the inquiry.