Health and Safety Executive (North West)
	(HSE) HSE warns NHS Trust Hospitals that they have a duty to ensure the safety of patients from falls from windows
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reminded NHS Trust hospitals of their responsibility to ensure the health and safety of patients especially from the dangers of falling from windows. The warning comes after the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust were fined a total of £14,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,982 at South Cheshire Magistrates Court, following a HSE prosecution. The charges relate to the case of a 30 year old male patient with mental health problems who was seriously injured when he managed to get out a first floor ward window at Leighton Hospital, Middlewich Road, Crewe on the 4 August 2005. The Trust was fined £12,000 for a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and £2,000 for a breach of Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations Health and Safety Executive Division director for the North West, David Ashton said: "The injuries to the patient were entirely avoidable.