THE death of a Methodist preacher who suffered 40 per cent burns when he was placed in a bath of scalding water could have been prevented, an inquest heard.

Hot water at the Kestrel Nursing Home in Eastbourne was often at temperatures in the high sixties and was measured at 71C on the day of the accident.

John Doddrell, known as Harry, suffered burns to his back and legs when he was lowered into the water by care assistant Ruth Goodall on July 12 last year and died two days later at the burns unit of the Queen Victoria hospital, East Grinstead, after developing pneumonia.

A jury at the Eastbourne inquest heard that thermostat mixers should have been used on the taps to regulate the temperature to the recommended 36-43C.

Melanie Freeman, nursing homes inspector with East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Health Authority, told the inquest the mixers had been a requirement of the Health and Safety Executive for six years.

Kestrel House had been purpose built to house 54 patients in 1996 without them in two of its bathrooms but she could not answer why this escaped the notice of the inspectors.

Mr Doddrell, of Baldwin Avenue, Eastbourne, had gone to Kestrell House in April, 1999, after suffering from pneumonia. His family felt his wife Win could no longer look after him at home.

Ruth Goodall wept as she told of the accident.

She said: "There were four or five baths to be given to patients that day and I had already given someone a shower."

Mr Doddrell was also due to be given a shower but had asked to have a bath instead and Miss Goodall went to ask permission, which she was given.

She said: "I said to Harry, 'Luck's on your side today. You can have a bath.'

"I ran the bath and felt the water. It was the warm side of luke warm. It certainly wasn't scalding."

She told the court she had run the bath before collecting Mr Doddrell from his room and checked the temperature with her hand when she was wearing latex gloves. When she lowered him in, he told her it was cold.

She said: "I went to ask whether I should put more hot water in but was told no and I didn't."

Miss Goodall said the 91-year-old showed no sign of distress but when she lifted him out of the bath she could see he had been scalded and raised the alarm.

Mr Doddrell's son John, of Kings Way, Petts Wood, Kent, told the inquest it was difficult to know whether his father was sufficiently confused to have said cold when he meant hot.

John Doddrell said: "He was a bit up and down. He was generally cheerful and bright when we went to visit him. I have a three-year-old daughter and he was able to play with her but he was having difficulty putting together long

sentences."

The jury of five men and three women recorded a verdict of accidental death.

After the inquest, John Doddrell said his family would not be asking the health and safety executive to press charges against Associated Nursing Services. He said: "It's a sad and tragic accident and we agree with the verdict."

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