A prison nurse has been suspended for six months amid allegations she suffered bullying and intimidation from bosses at HMP Open Estate, which runs Castle Huntly and formerly Noranside Prison.
Anne Traynor, an addictions nurse employed by the Scottish Prison Service in 2010, claimed at a fitness to practise hearing that “she felt that she was the victim of bullying and was often singled out for criticism by management”.
Mrs Traynor had admitted inappropriately removing a set of keys to a controlled drug cupboard at Castle Huntly without informing a manager and not returning them until seven days later in 2010.
However, she claimed she was covering that up when she lied to prison staff that her intention was to transfer controlled medication to Noranside due to possible short supplies. She said through a solicitor that she was afraid of further bullying if she admitted she still had the cupboard keys.
At a Nursing and Midwifery Council fitness to practise hearing this week, which she did not attend, Mrs Traynor admitted inappropriately removing the keys from the prison, that she did not return the keys, and did not report their removal to an appropriate manager.
A further charge that she attended the prison with the stated intention of transferring Suboxone medication from Castle Huntly to Noranside in circumstances where she would be storing the drugs overnight at her home address was found not proved by the panel although it ruled there were sufficient stocks of Suboxone at Noranside at the time.
In written correspondence to the hearing, her legal representative stated: “Mrs Traynor was under extreme stress and pressure at the time of the incident. She felt that she was the victim of bullying and was often singled out for criticism by management.
“She felt unsupported by her manager. She did not feel able to disclose that she had accidently removed the keys for fear of further victimisation and a continued deterioration in her relationship with her manager.”
However, the panel was not provided with any evidence to support Mrs Traynor’s assertions and her line manager refuted them in evidence.
Her legal representative added: “It was never Mrs Traynor’s intention to transfer the medication between prisons and store the medication at her home overnight.”
Despite admitting the first two charges, Mrs Traynor did not admit that her fitness to practise was impaired, the hearing heard.
An internal investigation at the time ended with her being issued with a final written warning, after which she resigned.
The panel took the view that if Mrs Traynor had followed the correct policies and procedures it would have prevented her from removing the controlled drugs keys.
It further noted she had demonstrated a lack of openness and candour and her actions fell short of the conduct and standards expected. Her conduct taken as a whole was serious and amounted to misconduct, and her fitness to practise is impaired by reason of misconduct.
However, the panel ruled that her fitness to practise was not sufficiently impaired to deserve more serious punishment and a striking-off order would deprive the public of an otherwise competent nurse with an otherwise long and unblemished career.
An interim suspension order for 18 months was also made to allow for any appeals process to take place.