A Fife mental health nurse has been struck off for misconduct and incompetence which could have had fatal consequences.
Jane Redpath, who worked at Whyteman’s Brae Hospital in Kirkcaldy at the time, used the wrong size of syringe, tried to prepare a higher dose than required and, despite being instructed not to do so, administered medication while unsupervised.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said: “The potential risk that she placed a number of patients at through performing the medication round unsupervised when she had been deemed unsafe to do so was extremely high.
“Her actions could have been fatal.”
The NMC suspended Mrs Redpath for 18 months to give her time to appeal the decision.
However, in a letter to the NMC last month she said she had “no wish to return to staff nursing”.
The NMC panel who considered the case heard evidence from a registered nurse who was on duty with Mrs Redpath in March 2011.
She saw Mrs Redpath drawing up medication in a 2ml syringe, which did not have accurate enough intervals to measure the required dose of 0.25ml.
After a 1ml syringe was found, Mrs Redpath asked the registered nurse if the dose was 0.4ml.
The witness said: “I waited to see if she would correct herself but she asked me the same question twice. I therefore corrected her and told her the dose was 0.25ml and she agreed with this.”
Three charges against Mrs Redpath were upheld by the panel. These also included failing to complete NHS Fife’s orientation checklist, specifically the objectives of communication, preparation for clinical meeting and administration of medication.
Her supervisor said her “poor levels of concentration made carrying out these tasks very difficult for her”.
The NMC report went on: “Mrs Redpath had been given clear instructions not to administer medication unsupervised.
“She acknowledged that she was aware of the instructions and understood. When questioned about this incident Mrs Redpath put forward that she had been asked by a colleague and felt she couldn’t refuse.
“The panel considered this reason entirely unsatisfactory and considered her actions to be reckless and extremely dangerous. The panel considered that the consequences of Mrs Redpath administering medication unsupervised could have been severe.
“There is no question that she placed a number of patients at real and significant risk of harm.
“In completing a medication round despite being instructed not to administer medications unsupervised, the panel considered that Mrs Redpath had not made the care of people her first concern, failed to work with others by ignoring clear instructions, failed to provide a high standard of practice and failed to act with integrity and uphold the reputation of the profession.
“Given her lack of insight and lack of remediation, the panel considered that presently Mrs Redpath’s practice as a nurse would be dangerous and that she is a serious risk to the public.”