Bath death prompts £15,000 fine

A care provider has been fined £15,000 for breaking health and safety laws following the death of a disabled woman who had been left alone in a bath. Lilia Korzun, 48, who needed 24-hour care, died at a sheltered bungalow in Wednesbury, West Midlands, in 2004.

Sandwell Community Caring Trust admitted breaching the laws during a court appearance in August. At Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday the trust was also ordered to pay £8,000 in costs. Sandwell Borough Council, which brought the prosecution, said there had been no adequate safe procedures for bathing people with profound learning difficulties and no documented safe system of work.

Magistrates at an earlier hearing in West Bromwich heard that Ms Korzun had profound learning difficulties, suffered from epileptic seizures and needed 24-hour care. They also heard she had been left alone in the bath for up to 15 minutes by a carer who had gone to assist a colleague. When the carer returned with the colleague, they found Ms Korzun submerged under water.

The trust has apologised, saying it was "deeply sorry" for what happened. It added two members of staff were no longer employed at the trust.

Geoff Walker, from Sandwell Community Caring Trust, said: "Lilia was left alone at time as the result of human error. Two devoted people were distracted at a critical time. Two people who acted on the organisation's behalf and for whom we accept responsibility."

However, Ms Korzun's family were angry at the outcome of the court case and said they were pursuing a civil claim against the care trust.