Accident or incident?

[RATTER15]

I work in a dementia unit and as you can imagine dealing with an average age group of 90 years old and very confused we have a few accidents and falls, sometimes resulting in injuries.

We are told that if someone falls and has no injury or has an injury that does not require a GP, Ambulance or District Nurse to attend, then we do not need to record it in the official "accident book".

If no health care professional has attended the injury we can record it as an "incident" the incident forms are just a form that we have created ourselves, now is this just away of hiding these falls so the governing bodies do not get to hear about them via the accident book. Also every time we record an accident in the accident book the manager has to submit the information to C.Q.C. the governing body but not if it is recorded as an incident.

I'm getting cross with the situation because we are always short staffed and as a result we are having more falls than normal, this is because we cannot always have somebody watching these frail people all the time which they need, this leads to them falling.

I want the legal slant on this please, not just personal opinions.

[RATTER15]

Is there actually any clear definition between the two in this particular setting?

Do you think that the accidents are just being hidden?

[daffy654]

I would recommend that you join a union such as UNITE and ask their opinion on this matter.
If one of these 'incidents' were to result in a hidden injury which later became complicated in some way there could well be some comeback from it.

[237SJ]

Sorry, I can`t give you the legal response you require, but we have incident forms at work as well. We used to have an accident form but now everything is recorded on an incident form. Right down to giving someone a paracetamol, or someone burning themselves. I don`t think it`s a cover up for anything. I think it is just that if something escalates from a minor one to a major one in the future, there is a record of it. Mainly to do with litigation I think

[Buenchico]

Your employer is separating those incidents which are subject to 'RIDDOR' (see link below) from those which are not. That is a normal system of reporting, which many would regard as an example of 'good practice'.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm

Chris

[RATTER15]

Ok, thanks 237sj

[RATTER15]

Thanks Chis, I am familiar with RIDDOR, I am in a bit of a complex legal battle with my company and considering leaving, possibly "constructive Dismissal" it all a bit of a nightmare, maybe have to leave the job I love so much due to money saving and scrimping and putting elderly confused people at risk to save money.

[boxtops]

ratter I replied on your other thread (which I can't now find!).

[RATTER15]

Thanks Boxtops, I found your reply, I have an appointment with an employment solicitor soon, I hope he can advise my on my next step.

Thanks everybody that replied but still keep them coming, looks like I need to start building a case.

[Buenchico]

Ratter15:
This might be relevant to you:
http://www.direct.gov...Dismissal/DG_10026696

Chris

[Hopkirk]

Someone falls, has no injury, and you want to put it in the accident book?

That's the sort of red tape that is getting in the way of people doing their jobs surely?

[divegirl]

No,I think what Ratter is trying to say is....If they are not recorded in the accident book then they are not recognised by the government which in turn means that staffing levels can be dropped. Bad luck all round for the people he is caring for!

Lisa x

[RATTER15]

Hopkirk, the problem is, we are not medically trained, its a residential home specialising in dementia, we all have first aid certificates and relevant training.

Some times a resident will fall, she gets up, no obvious injury, 2 or 3 days she gets huge black bruises on her bottom or arm or she starts limping, this frequently happens. If we have no record of the fall or the incident nobody will know where these bruises etc come from.

As carers, we must be totally accountable, we cant fart without recording it I promise you!

[ojread2]

recording every accident/incident or what ever you choose to call it, whether there are injuries or not Hopkirk, cover yourself as much as the person it happened to, which is why we at work write every little thing in the accident book, injury or not!

Good luck Ratter - you're doing something very worthwhile