The fine at Chesterfield Magistrates' Court on 12 January 2026 followed a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into several employees diagnosed with hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and carpal tunnel syndrome following prolonged exposure to vibration from work equipment.

HSE Inspector Muir Finlay said: ‘The fine imposed on the trust should underline to all employers that expose their workers to vibration that the courts and HSE take failures to follow the regulations extremely seriously.'

Sally Elliott, who worked in the plaster-cast department for more than 25 years, was diagnosed with advanced stage 3 vascular and sensorineural HAVS.

Elliott, who was no longer able to continue in her role and who has remained off work since October 2023, said: ‘I gave my all to Chesterfield Royal Hospital and enjoyed my job.

‘I took seriously my duty of care to patients, and I feel the trust failed in their duty of care to me. I feel let down and I am suffering the consequences through no fault of my own.'

Dr Hal Spencer, chief executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘On behalf of the trust I'd like to express our sincere apology for this situation. Our health and safety record has always been good, and we took responsibility for this non-compliance as soon as we were made aware of it.

‘We respect the findings of the judge and his acknowledgement that, in co-operation with the HSE, we have put measures in place to rectify the breach and to ensure such a situation could not arise again.'