A nurse has been suspended for phoning the family of a patient at Ninewells Hospital to tell them he would die that day when the patient was already dead.
Darren Scott Diplexcito was sacked by NHS Tayside for his actions in May 2011.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) concluded his behaviour amounted to serious professional misconduct.
Diplexcito was described as a caring and competent nurse and it was contended that the ending of his nursing career over this would be disproportionate.
The NMC’s conduct and competence committee ruled the public interest would be safeguarded by a suspension order for nine months.
The nurse admitted a number of charges over the incident relating to him providing a false account of events to the patient’s family and behaving in a dishonest manner.
The patient, who was awaiting transfer to Roxburghe House, was found cold to touch at 6am on May 5 2011.
Diplexcito and two colleagues agreed he had died, a situation soon confirmed by a doctor.
About 6.20am, however, he phoned the patient’s family to inform them that he had deteriorated and was expected to pass away that day.
He then phoned the family back at 7am to advise them to come to hospital as soon as possible.
When the family arrived they were taken to a quiet room where he told them they had missed their father’s death by some minutes.
The death certificate had the patient’s death recorded at 6.10am, however, and when this came to light the family submitted a letter of complaint to NHS Tayside.
Diplexcito also received a concurrent interim suspension order for 18 months to cover the period of a possible appeal.