An incident which saw an elderly woman die six days after drinking cleaning fluid at a Brighton (UK) hospital "could happen again," a coroner warned, according to an article on the Brighton and Hove Independent website.
The woman was given a drink which contained cleaning fluid mixed with a summer fruits cordial on September 17. The cleaning fluid was in a 'solid green' jug, the inquest heard — which was one that was given to dementia patients under the hospital’s jug system — but that woman would usually be given a jug with a blue lid.
It is believe it was placed there by one of the housekeepers after lunch. This is when the jugs are changed, washed and refilled, the inquest heard.
The incident has raised questions about people knowing about the jug system, about how the jugs are washed and cleaned and how the housekeeping staff know which bedside tables to put them on. Plus, there are questions about how the cleaning fluids are stored, according to inquest testimony.
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