Stafford Hospital prosecuted for death by neglect of patient with diabetes Gillian Astbury

The troubled Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust is to be prosecuted over the death of a patient with diabetes, Gillian Astbury, whose insulin requirements were neglected during her stay.
Stafford Hospital has been the centre of a scandal in which an unusually high number of deaths occurred at the hospital between 2005 and 2008 and a shocking level of other neglect.
66 years old Mrs Astbury died at the Hospital on 11th of April 2007 as a direct result of not being given the insulin injections she needed. She had cried out for help but her plea had been ignored by nurses. Her blood glucose levels were left to rise unchecked to very high levels and this ultimately lead to diabetic ketoacidosis followed a heart attack.
Mrs Astbury’s death was needless and could easily have been prevented if common practice had been followed. Two nurses had failed to carry out blood glucose tests or keep records up to date. The two nurses will not face criminal proceedings but will be struck off.
Stafford Hospital will be prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work Act and a hearing is scheduled for the 9th of October. Further criminal investigation will be carried out and the hospital could face fines of up to tens of thousands of pounds. There are already questions from the public in the UK following the case about why individuals are not being held personally accountable.