One nurse has been suspended and another cautioned for failures in looking after residents at a Dundee care home.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council found Helen Hart Scroggie and Emily Murray McKay guilty of misconduct for having brought the profession into disrepute for their actions at Ballumbie Court Care Home, then owned by Southern Cross.
Their cases resulted from an audit of the files of 60 residents at the home at the end of 2009, when it was discovered that operational changes were not being implemented.
There were also discrepancies with the quantities of medicines signed for and administered.
At the end of a four-day hearing of the NMC’s conduct and competence committee in Edinburgh last month, a number of charges against Scroggie and McKay were found proven.
Barry Dooley for the NMC said that the nurses’ failures to re-order medication resulted in residents being placed at increased risk of pain.
The failures to look after the wounds of residents and record weight affected the residents’ health and safety. The residents were vulnerable and elderly with mental health issues.
Scroggie, a staff nurse, and McKay, a charge nurse, were suspended after the allegations came to light and each resigned from their posts at Ballumbie in January 2010.
Scroggie had indicated she was suffering from health problems at the time and she retired from all work.
McKay had admitted her failures and had been under stress at the time of the incidents. She had gone to work in another Dundee care home but had chosen not to work in a charge nurse post.
In re-convening to decide on sanctions, the NMC imposed a 12 month suspension on Scroggie meaning she cannot hold any post requiring NMC registration in the time.
Evidence had been led in her defence that she had been moved to a part of the home where she had not worked for a year and she was unfamiliar with the residents and their needs.
It was contended that lack of familiarity was not an excuse, she did not attend the proceedings and there was no evidence that she had made any effort to remedy her shortcomings.
Despite her retiring from the profession and indicating she had no intention of returning, the disciplinary panel believed there was a risk of her repeating her misconduct.
In balancing Scroggie’s interests against those of the public, the panel determined she be suspended for 12 months as a striking off order would be disproportionate and punitive. She had engaged with the disciplinary proceedings, admitted the facts found proved and expressed remorse for her failings which she was addressing.
The panel said that to protect the public and maintain the reputation of the profession, a caution be imposed to stay on her record for five years.