A HEALTHCARE firm has denied corporate manslaughter over the death of a 93-year-old woman who was scalded in the bath.

Frances Norris died in hospital in February 2015 following the incident at Birdsgrove Nursing Home in Bracknell, Berkshire.

During a Skype hearing at the Old Bailey, a lawyer for Surrey-based Aster Healthcare, which ran the home, entered a not guilty plea to the charge of corporate manslaughter.

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The charge states that on February 8, 2015, the company caused Ms Norris's death by a gross breach of its duty of care by failing to adequately address failings in the hot water system.

The company also pleaded not guilty to a charge of failure to discharge a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

It allegedly failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, that persons not in its employment, including Ms Norris, were not exposed to risks to their health and safety, namely risks of injury from hot water.

Aster Healthcare director Sheth Jeebun, 58, of Weybridge, Surrey, denied failure to discharge a duty.

He also pleaded not guilty to doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice after Ms Norris's death.

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It was alleged that he arranged, or sought to arrange, for thermostatic mixer valves (TMVs) to be fitted or adapted before regulators could complete checks on the hot water outlets.

He arranged for false water temperature records to be created and provided to police and other regulators, it was claimed.

The charge said he further arranged for a false record to be created of the servicing of TMVs at the home and for a false contract of servicing of TMVs to be provided to the Care Quality Commission and others.

A not guilty plea also was indicated on behalf of carer Noel Maida, 48, of Hayes, west London, to a charge of failing to discharge a duty.

A fourth defendant, Elizabeth West, 45, of Pembury, near Tunbridge Wells in Kent, pleaded guilty to failure to discharge a duty.

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At the time of the offence, between February 11, 2013, and February 8, 2015, she was an employee of Aster Healthcare Limited, working as the manager of Birdsgrove Nursing Home.

Mr Justice Edis said a provisional trial date in October was no longer realistic, given the backlog of cases due to the suspension of trials in the coronavirus lockdown.

He said: "It appears that the suspension of Crown Court trials is going to be continued for some time, with a gradual restart building up to full capacity over months. This case, because everybody is on bail, is unlikely to be top of that queue."

The senior judge set a six-week trial date for January 18, 2021, with a review hearing on December 21.

West was granted continued bail until she is sentenced at the conclusion of the case against her co-accused.