Carer feels 'completely' responsible for drug mix-up

A Gloucester care home employee has told the court she feels completely accountable after mistakenly administering morphine to a resident who later passed away.

Jane Barnard, 66, from Longlevens, faces charges related to the death of 75-year-old Derek Davies at Wheatridge Court in Abbeydale on 8 September 2021. She denies manslaughter but admitted to willfully neglecting Mr Davies by not reporting that she had given him morphine intended for another resident.

During proceedings at Gloucester Crown Court, Mrs Barnard confirmed she believes she is fully responsible for Mr Davies death, though she maintained that she did not anticipate it would be fatal.

The court heard that on the morning of 6 September, two days before Mr Davies died, Mrs Barnard gave him 90g of slow-release morphine by mistake. Realizing the error, she discarded Mr Davies' proper medication and told the resident for whom the morphine was meant that it had been thrown away.

Mrs Barnard described being in a state of shock after the incident, unable to inform colleagues or her husband about what had happened. I remember going into the bathroom just to gather myself, she said. I was sitting there for some time, completely overwhelmed I knew I had to compose myself. Everything was running through my mind, my family, Derek, everything.

She also admitted that she did not immediately report the error even after Mr Davies was hospitalized. She had intended to confess at her local church the following day but found that she was unable to speak to anyone due to their busyness.

Mrs Barnard finally informed the care home's deputy manager on 8 September. Hospital staff then confirmed that Mr Davies had died that morning. The initial cause of death was recorded as a brainstem stroke but was later revised to morphine toxicity.

The trial is ongoing.

Author: Grace Ellison