A patient with swallowing difficulties at Prince of Wales Hospital choked and died after being given a normal or solid meal instead of the soft meal required for their condition, according to reports published on 24 September.
The Hospital Authority’s chief executive described the incident as extremely unsatisfactory and said it had shocked the healthcare sector, while stressing that staff should assess patients, check what they can eat and give instructions to those feeding them.
The Hospital Authority will introduce additional measures to ensure healthcare staff complete the necessary checks before feeding patients. The chief executive said she was awaiting a report into the causes of the incident.
The latest case follows a similar incident at Caritas Medical Centre about a year earlier, Star Headline reported.