THE death of a care home resident who was given the wrong medication was an accident waiting to happen, according to a former member of staff.

Christina Hooper and Marion Dixon, both 53, are on trial at Teesside Crown Court, charged with the manslaughter of 67-year-old Frank Hutchison.

Mr Hutchison died in hospital less than six weeks after he was mistakenly given another resident's medicine by Mrs Dixon, at The Hollies residential home, in Norton, Stockton.

Mrs Hooper, the owner of The Hollies, and Mrs Dixon, a senior care assistant, are charged with manslaughter by gross negligence.

It is believed to be the first time the owner of a care home has faced such charges after the death of a resident.

James Goss QC, prosecuting, read from a statement given by Mrs Dixon to police on August 10 last year. She described how she returned to work at The Hollies less than three weeks after the sudden death of her husband, and less than two weeks before she administered the incorrect medication to Mr Hutchison.

Mr Goss said: "With hindsight, she wished she had not gone back to work and thought it was too soon.

"There was no assessment made as to whether she was competent to go back to work."

Linda Dyer, who worked at The Hollies as a senior care assistant at the time of the incident, gave evidence as a prosecution witness.

She said she arrived for the start of her day shift at 7.40am on February 28 and was immediately told that one of the residents had been given the wrong medication.

She said: "Marion was in the kitchen and was at the sink, crying.

"She told me she had given Frank the wrong medicine.

"Frank was in the smoking room, so I went through to check on him and he was fine - he spoke to me normally and asked about my holiday."

Miss Dyer said that a short while later, Mr Hutchison fell out of his chair and was moaning and had laboured breathing.

When asked by Thomas Bayliss QC, defending Mrs Dixon, whether she thought the home's procedures for night staff administering medication were an accident waiting to happen, Miss Dyer replied: "Yes, because of the position Marion was put in."

The trial continues.