The health board was fined £70,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court after admitting to health and safety failings at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary over the care of Patrick Brogan, 89, who died in January 2024 after developing aspiration pneumonia.
NHS Grampian's chief executive, Laura Skaife-Knight said: ‘At the heart of healthcare is a commitment to provide safe, compassionate and effective care to every patient. On behalf of NHS Grampian, I apologise unreservedly to Mr Brogan's family that our failings contributed to this tragic outcome.
‘While I deeply regret that I cannot change what happened in this case, I am committed to maximising our learning from our shortcomings and to improving the safety and quality of care for our future patients.
‘I would like to assure Mr Brogan's family, and our local community, that we have undertaken a comprehensive review and, in response, have already implemented significant changes to reduce the risk of such an event recurring.
‘These include embedding a revised Mealtime Coordinator role across all adult in-patient areas at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary; introducing a colour-coded tray system, strengthening nursing handovers and improving staff training.'
